Rail Tel defies prohibition, road cut off
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 19 2017: Not-withstanding the prohibition on laying underground cables on road sides during rainy season, Rail Tel company dug roads and laid underground telecommu-nication cables between Machi and Kakching Lamkhai.

Subsequently, the road has been cut off .

Khunutabi-Machi-Shangshak road is a State highway which is under the care of PWD.

The road is a key link for Machi block of Tengnoupal district .

Sometime back, Rail Tel company laid underground cables between Machi and Kakching Lamkhai without giving any information to the SOs and Executive Engineers concerned .

After digging up the road, Rail Tel company did not cover up the dug out portions properly to the compaction level which existed earlier .

As the earth remained loose, the road surface sank at different portions when they were lashed by medium to heavy rainfall during the past couple of days.

The road is now totally cut off, informed a source .

PWD Chief Engineer Khuraijam Temba said that the second week of June is considered to be the beginning of the rainy season of a year .

The department prohibits laying of underground cables along road sides from the second week of June till September 25.In spite of this prohibition, Rail Tel company laid underground cables along Khunutabi-Machi-Sangshak road .

The road has been severely damaged as water percolated through the loose earth .

Rail Tel company is an undertaking of the Government of India and they are authorised to lay underground cables where necessary .

As far as there are roads, there should be underground telecommunication cables.

If there is no road, there would not be underground cable .

Now the road has been damaged and Rail Tel company should bear its responsibility .

The Executive Engineer concerned has been instructed to lodge an FIR against Rail Tel company at the police station concerned, informed the Chief Engineer .

Apart from the department's prohibition on laying underground cables, any firm/company should first review weather conditions if they must lay underground cables.

If the weather condition is favourable they may be given the green signal to go ahead, Temba said.

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