State PWD facing hard times with meagre fund allocation for High Ways maintenance
Source: IT News
Imphal, June 25 2017:
Meagre fund allocations for maintenance of the National High Ways in the state is one big challenges that the state Public Works Department (PWD) is facing at the moment.
Of the 16 National High Ways in the state of Manipur six are being handed over to the State PWD, others are being undertaken by the National Infrastructures and Development Corporation Limited and the Border Road Organisation, said the Additional Chief Engineer (NH) of PWD Manipur , N Noren Singh during the interaction session of the One Day Media Sensitization Programme on State of National Highways in Manipur held at Hotel Classic today .
Chief Engineer of PWD Manipur Tiken, Additional Chief Engineer T Rabindra Kumar (State Highways) and Superintending Engineer , PWD, Y.Joykumar were also present in the one day Media Sensitization Programme organised by the Editor 's Guild Manipur .
Speaking on the occasion N Noren Singh, Additional Chief Engineer , PWD further said that the six National Highways being handed over to the state PWD are NH 2( Mao- Imphal - Churachandpur stretch), NH - 202 ( Imphal- Yangangpokpi stretch), portion of NH 37 ( Imphal- Takyel along the Imphal -Jiri road) , NH 102 ( Imphal - Moreh stretch), NH 137 (2) (Imphal- Kakching - Mayang Imphal stretch) and NH 102 (A) ( Sangshak - Tengnoupal stretch).
Total fund allocation for the maintenance of the 6 National Highways is just Rs 1.35 crores.
Chief Engineer of PWD Tiken further said that life span of the road has been shortened with the increase of traffic volume.
"the total number of vehicles in 2009 was 1.9 lakhs and the number now reached 3.89 lakhs", said Tiken.
He also added that the thickness of the road is also comparatively low .
The Chief Engineer however said that the condition of the National Highways will be improved in the coming days as the state PWD is all set to implement a new vision project.
.YJoykumar , Superintending Engineer of the State PWD, while speaking on the occasion said that even though detail project report for the upgradation of the Highways are being finalised, the PWD still faced problem over the obstacle being faced by them on land acquisition works for widening of the National Highways.
He said with the increase of the vehicles the road need to be widen and for widening the road land acquisition is a much.
At present, the number of vehicles at one go in the National Highways is 300 to 500 which is almost tripled the number of 2009.The volume of the vehicle pressurised the road structures making its lifespan shorten and for that Widening of the road is a much.
On the condition of the state Highways and other roads, Y Joykumar said that lack of corordinations between various departments like the PHED, IFCD and the PWD is also a major problem faced in the proper maintenance of the roads in the state.
The Superintending engineer was reffering to the digging out of road by PHED or other department without prior communications with the PWD.
He also stretch on the need for proper understanding between the district administration and the PWD when it comes on the maintenance of roads.