BRO pledges to make Imp-Jiri a standard highway by Mar next year
Barak bridge snag repaired, vehicles start moving
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 09, 2013: Chief Engineer of the Border Roads Organisation Brig Jairam Kumar has promised to make Imphal-Jiribam highway a standard highway by March next year. On the other hand, vehicles have started crossing the Barak bridge after members of the Transporters' and Drivers' Council went there and repaired the snag today afternoon.

He assured that Imphal-Jiribam highway would be freed from all the troubles.

Talking to The Sangai Express over telephone from his Aizawl office, Brig Jairam said that Imphal-Jiribam highway would no longer be a deplorable highway by March next year.

Even if the whole length of the highway could not be black-topped, maximum length would be black-topped by that time.

BRO is very much concerned with the development work of Imphal-Jiribam highway which is being closely monitored by the Government, High Court, transporters and civil society organisations.

The pathetic/deplorable section of NH-37 connecting Imphal and Jiribam sub-division bordering Assam as on July 21 2013 .

BRO would like to work as speedily as possible.

However, stone quarries allotted to BRO by the State Government for collection of stones needed for the highway development work are located at Sekmai, Kanglatongbi and Serou which are 130 to 150 Kms away from the highway.

BRO has approached the State Government to allot stone quarries at some places nearer to the highway but the State Government has not responded.

From 2011 to 2012, no work was done on the highway because of delay in sanctioning the highway development near Barak by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

Necessary sanction was given only in February this year.

By the time, BRO started executing the work, the monsoon season had set in, said the Chief Engineer.

Although Imphal-Jiribam highway has been made a double-lane highway, there has been no such expansion for a length of about 3 Kms because the same section is likely to be submerged under water when the Tipaimukh dam is constructed.

The Brigadier pointed out that the highway has changed a lot during the past few years.

BRO has been providing machinery to transporters who are currently repairing the highway at Sibilong.

BRO can repair the same section to serviceable condition if the vehicular traffic is suspended for just two days.

Even as the State Government was requested to give just two days, the Government did not give any positive response.

In place of Barak and Makru bridges which are 43 years old, two alternative bridges would be constructed after obtaining necessary construction materials from the army.

The alternative bridges were conceived as a matter of urgency for official process needed for re-construction of the worn bridges would take a long time.

However, the Government is yet to give sanction for construction of the alternative bridges.

BRO has so far constructed nine bridges along Imphal-Jiribam highway, said Brig Jairam.

On being asked about any threats from UG groups, Jairam said that disturbance by UG groups was always there.