NHIDCL's reputation at stake
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: June 14, 2022 -

WITH the exception of few pothole-filled stretches, there has been notable improvement in the condition of national and state highway roads compared to few years back.

Accepted that there is vast room for improvement of inter-village roads and bylanes in residential areas but not many would argue that driving/travelling along the Imphal-Mao, Imphal-Jiribam and Imphal-Moreh gives a pleasant experience these days unlike the past when these same routes used to be avoided mainly due to their rugged conditions.

While prompt and constant repairing of all the damaged portions of these highways and early completion would leave no room for complaint, it is an undeniable fact that overall there has been remarkable progress in the highway development projects.

Thus, it is indeed disheartening that at a time when people of Manipur are starting to get an idea and experience of what travelling along a national highway should be, an established and reputed company such,as the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) has come under the scanner of engineering officials over lack of quality control.

As the national highway road development authority, NHIDCL deserved all the credit for making speedy progress towards completing the projects and, like it or not, at the same time ought to take the blame in its stride when lapses are pointed out.

On its part, NHIDCL authorities should initiate prompt action against the companies and sub-contractors for tarnishing its reputation as and when work quality is found compromised development projects of national highways by any agencies it had authorised.

As over 80 per cent out of the total length of , the national highways in Manipur sector has been entrusted to the NHIDCL, it is imperative that the flaws pointed out by some engineers, especially with regard to use of shale rock, should be looked into with all seriousness as its reputation is at stake.

Owing to restriction to prevent excessive quarrying in the river by local communities and NGOs working to safeguard the environment, companies and sub-contractors under NHIDCL might have perceived it wise to use the shale rocks with the notion that after blacktopping the sub-par construction material wouldn't create any issue.

Nevertheless, with some engineers exposing the deceptive method, NHIDCL authorities cannot ignore non-compliance to the prescribed project specification and work quality.

Though it has been a tradition for the lowest bidders to bag supply or construction works, such a system cannot be the premise for the work agencies to flout prescribed norms or facilitate them to thicken their bank balance through execution of sub-par work.

Rather the defaulting firms should be reminded or categorically told that they are liable to be blacklisted in case the assigned task has not been executed appropriately.

With 56.51 per cent of the assigned task learnt to have been completed, it would be outrageous to ask the NHIDCL to start afresh the road job where quality norms were not followed.

However, for the remaining portions of the national highway projects there is still time for remedial measures as heavier volume of heavily loaded vehicular movement is inevitable once the train service reaches the state or the much-awaited Act East Policy materialises.