PPCM urges Govt to repair Irang Bridge
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, July 01 2022:
Protection and Preservation Committee Manipur (PPCM) has appealed to the state government to repair the Irang bridge located on National Highway-37 (Imphal-Jiri) at the earliest, while also ensuring its longevity.
According to a statement released by its convenor (publicity committee) L Jayanta, a team of PPCM visited the Imphal-Jiri route and found 90 percent of the road in pitiful condition.
The Irang bridge, built over the Irang river was found to be particularly worse.
The bridge, converted into a bailey bridge by NH1DCL and inaugurated by the Chief Minister, was recently swept away owing to usage of steel with poor strength and lack of quality maintenance, it alleged.
The committee also found the road, aside from the bridge, in poor condition with parts of the mountains being cut down in steep manner and poor repair works.
The steep cut has led to gradual subsidence of the mountains and the absence of a proper drainage system is causing the road to fall apart.
Around 50 km stretch of the road located at a distance of 20km from Noney Bazar has already sunken.
It would be best to repair the said road stretch before repairing of the bridge is completed.
The release continued that according to Paratech Constructions Private Limited, which is tasked with the bridge repairs, the repair work will take around 20-30 days.
However, the work done by the company is not satisfactory, which raises the question if there is any hidden agenda between the Union government and the road construction companies, considering their inability to properly repair and maintain Imphal-Jiri Road for so many years.
PPCM then said that it would be wrong of government of Manipur to wash off its hands citing the work as a central project.
It should closely monitor the ongoing work and the quality.
The Committee also shared its deepest condolences to the bereaved families of all those who lost their life in the tragic landslide at Makhuam village and urged the government and the authority concerned to take serious note and help prevent any similar disaster in the future.