Can Sanjenthong meet its target?
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, May 23 2014 : Doubts have been hanging in the air if the target set for completion of Sanjenthong bridge construction would be able to meet by the State Government, even though Chief Minister O Ibobi and Works Minister Kh Ratankumar have time and again assured that the work would be finished before the next Manipur Sangai Festival.

Sources informed Friday that Manipur Government is still undecided on the exact financial source for the bridge construction work though it has already given the task to its most trusted construction company Simplex Infrastructure, which has consequently begun the work under the supervision of State PWD.

The expenditure required for the bridge construction has not been found arranged in the current annual plan of the Government.

However, in the absence of sufficient resources, the Government is planning to cough up the required amount for the project from the Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR) if the Department of North East (DoNER) is favourable to the idea.

The Government has somehow managed to give Rs 7 crore to Simplex Infrastructure Company as of now to start the construction work.

But the question is that whether the State Government will be able to fulfill target that has been set for completion of the bridge by November, the month Sangai Festival is held every year.

Manipur Government is hoping to get the amount from NLCPR without the consent of DoNER ministry.

However, if the new Government at the Centre delays the sanction process, then the State Government could very well say bye-bye to its target of completing the four-lane new Sanjenthong Bridge by November.

In the meantime, the Government has only six months to fulfill the target as the current month is about to end.

Moreover, if bandh and blockades, which are regular features in Manipur, come up, then the target set is sure to derail.

Sanjenthong is to be developed at the total cost of Rs 31.31 crore.

Its total length is 22.27 mt.

On both sides of the bridge, 22 piles each will be fixed for the structural system.

So far, drilling for a single pile has been completed.

Over the piles, RCC blocks will be constructed and the entire structure of the bridge will be supported by less than 11 Macalloy Bars to keep it like a hanging bridge by fixing a bent thick iron supporter.

Making of Macalloy Bars to be used in the bridge construction has now started by a factory at Howrah, Kolkata.

The Kolkata based factory will be sending all the required materials for the construction to the State.

A team of engineers from the State PWD is likely to visit the factory soon to inspect whether all the materials manufactured by the factory are quality controlled ones or not, sources in the PWD said.

Comment