Little progress on NH-37, slush and mud now give way to dust to wreak havoc
BRO likely to puncture PM's Dec deadline
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 06 2011: Even though Manipur has seen a dry spell for almost four months now, the BRO has achieved little progress in their work on the Imphal-Jiribam highway during the same period.

It was mud and slush which made NH-37 a nightmare for transporters during the rainy season.

Now during the winter season, it is thick columns of dust which are wreaking havoc on the highway.

Meanwhile, Chief Secretary DS Poonia traversed all along the highway till Jiribam on December 4 and collected a first hand account of the highway's existing condition.

Even as Prime Minister Dr Manmohan, during his recent visit to Imphal, declared that development work of NH-37 was expected to be completed by December 2013, it is most unlikely that BRO can fulfil the Prime Minister's expectation in view of the current pace of work maintained by it.

On the very next day of the Prime Minister's visit, a joint team of ICHAM (Information Centre for Hill Areas Manipur) members and media persons travelled along the highway for a direct assessment of its current condition.

Column of dust kicked up by moving vehicles on NH-37

Though the BRO had been contending that they faced difficulties to work progressively on the highway during rainy season, dry spell has been prevailing in Manipur for the last four months.

Yet, very little progress has been made on the highway development work.

It is likely that the highway would revert to its earlier highly deplorable condition when the next rainy season sets in.

Gautam Construction Company to which the BRO outsourced the highway development work of the 20 Kms long Keimai-Makru portion has set a target of completing 10 kms of their portion within the current month and the remaining half next year.

The other agency, ABSI Company to which the BRO outsourced Shanti Khunou to Barak portion of the highway has not started any work till date.

Transporters and drivers have been facing immense difficulties between Jiribam and Makru because of thick columns of dust which drastically reduce their visibility.

Vehicles have to stop every now and then on this section as columns of dust stirred by the preceding vehicles obscure their visibility and they have to wait till the columns of dust settle down.

Contrary to the claim of the BRO that it is engaging 1280 labourers on the highway development work, the joint team saw much lesser number of labourers working on the highway.

ICHAM president Rajendro appealed to the authorities concerned to probe the claim that BRO has been utilising the services of 1280 labourers adding that this is doubtful.