Road construction work under NHIDCL scanner
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 19 2021:
Following reports of discrepancies in the road construction work from Churachandpur district headquarters to Tuivai (Mizoram border), the National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) has directed the authorities concerned to look into the matter.
An overall review meeting of the road construction works being undertaken by NHIDCL in Manipur under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways was held yesterday through video conferencing.
It was pointed out during the review meeting that construction of the 13 Kms long Churachandpur-Lulmul section of NH-102 B was done in a very poor manner, sources informed.
Subsequently NHIDCL Director (Technical) VK Rajawat directed the authorities concerned to check the qualitative aspect of the road construction work for every one kilometre.
The 13 Kms long highway section is being constructed by Jaipur-based Krishna Construction Company (KCC) which is a private firm.
As per the contract awarded to the KCC, the road construction work includes cutting of hills, retaining walls, drains, breast walls, granular sub base (GSV), wet mixed macadam (WMM), dense bituminous macadam (DBM) and bituminous concrete (BC) .
However, the firm constructed the highway section by levelling the road using rollers and laying a layer of stones of 40 mm before black-topping it, starting from a point 6 Kms away from Churachandpur, said the sources.
On digging the stone layer, no sign of GSV and WMM layers could be found, according to the sources.
The Churachandpur-Tuivai section of NH-102B is about 141 Kms in length and NHIDCL awarded the highway construction work to different private firms after dividing the highway section into many portions.
The 13 Kms long portion awarded to the KCC should be completed within 18 months and its estimated cost is around Rs 97 crore.
The road construction work began in July last year, added the sources.