NH 53 a far cry from a safe lifeline
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, February 04, 2011:
Despite the promises made by the state as well as Central authorities for making the Imphal-Jiribam section of NH 53 an accessible road, there is no headway in the improvement works till date even as the dry season is about to end.
Among others promises made, is the latest one made by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram announcing a ` 350 crore package to make the 222 km Imphal-Jiribam section of the highway accessible all year round by 2013. However, seeing the present progress of the Border Road Task Force (BRTF) work, making the highway an all weather highway is but a dream.
The road improvement work of the 146 km stretch from Imphal to Barak is being taken up by 765 Bn BRTF and from Barak to Jiribam, about 76 km, is being handled by 24 Bn BRTF stationed in Silchar.
The 24 Bn BRTF has undertaken the task of blacktopping the road from Jiribam to Makru but there has been no improvement in the road condition from Makru to Barak, about 46 km.
From Barak to Nungba under 765 Bn BRTF the road is in a bad condition.
Except rock cuttings and clearings at landslide prone areas and widening of the road at some places, no improvement work isvisible.
No ground work for blacktopping has been taken up.
In spite of the bad road conditions, for the time being, goods trucks are plying negotiating all odds like dust and fog.
The dust and or fog is so dense that vehicles in the front are hardly visible to the vehicles in the rear.
It is clear that this stretch will be inaccessible in the rainy season.
People of Manipur, particularly drivers of inter-state trucks and buses have been demanding to make NH 53 as the life line of the state.
They are fed up with unbearable illegal 'taxes' imposed by UG groups and frequent blockades and bandhs on NH 39.The decision taken by the Transporters' and Drivers' Council (TDC) not to ply their vehicles on NH 39 still remain un-changed till date.
Besides this, bullet gas (bulk LPG) tankers had also decided to avoid NH 39 and instead opted to ply on NH 53.