Engineers inspect road construction
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 30 2018:
A team of Rural Engineering Department/Manipur State Rural Road Development Agency including its Chief Engineer (in-charge) Th Nandakishore along with a media team inspected the ongoing road construction/repairing work from Chakpikarong to Khengjoi (Part-1, II, III and IV) under PMGSY on Sunday.
The road stretch falls under Khengjoi sub-division of Chandel district.
During the inspection, the Chief Engineer along with other staff of the department dug out the road at several spots/points, including portions which are yet to be blacktopped and examined whether the work undertaken met the quality/standard prescribed under PMGSY.
Although there were some defects, most of the portions were found to have fulfilled the PMGSY standards such as thickness of blacktopping and WBM layers.
He advised the contractors concerned to repair the portions which he found to be below the standard quality.
Briefing media persons later, the Chief Engineer conveyed that the construction/repairing of Chakpikarong to Khengjoi (Part I, II, III, IV) road stretch under PMGSY was of a Low Volume Traffic Design.
He asserted that the bearing capacity of the road is just around 8.2 tonnes to 10 tonnes while pointing out that plying of many timber loaded trucks weighing at least 40 to 50 tonnes severely damages the road.
Observing that stopping timber laden trucks from plying on the road stretch is essential so as to make it durable as it is a Low Volume Traffic Design, Nandakishore maintained that he will consult with the authorities concerned to stop/restrict plying of overweight trucks on the road stretch.
The thickness of the blacktop should be 2 cm while that of each WBM layers (altogether two layers) should be 3 inches.
Admitting that there were some minor defects in the construction of road stretch and deficiency of culverts along the road stretch, Nandakishore stated that the defects will be rectified before the ongoing construction work is completed.
He then sought cooperation from the public residing along the road stretch toward construction/repairing of the road stretch adding that blacktopping has been completed on major portions.
The Kuki Chiefs Association, Khengjoi imposed indefinite ban on construction/repairing of the road from Chakpikarong to Khengjoi Part - IV on the ground that the construction work did not meet the necessary standard.
The association asked the authorities concerned to restrict release of fund for the blacktopped portions stating that the blacktopping was done in poor quality.