NH-29 rockslide: RPP lodges complaint against NHIDCL, Nagaland PWD & others

July 9, 2023 17 Views No Comment

Dimapur, July 9 (MExN): The Rising People Party (RPP) has lodged a complaint at the Chümoukedima Police Station on July 8, alleging “gross negligence and dereliction of duties” regarding the rockslide that occurred on July 4 at New Chümoukedima (Pakala Pahar).

In the First Information Report (FIR), the RPP has named the Executive Director of NHIDCL; contractors and sub-contractors; the consultancy firm; and the Nagaland Public Works Department (PWD), along with all parties involved in the 4-laning project of National Highway-29 Dimapur-Kohima road.

The negligence and dereliction of duties have led to the death of two individuals, serious injuries to others, and damage of properties, it maintained.

The accident is “clearly a man-made disaster and that NHIDCL (National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited) and others involved in the projects are responsible for the accident,” the party further stated in the complaint, citing instances to buttress its allegation.

According to the RPP, the Nagaland Pollution Control Board (NPCB) in its letters dated September 25, 2020 and February 4, 2021 had “simultaneously directed the NHIDCL to refrain from the use of dynamites for blasting of rocks in the ‘Pakala Pahar’ area under Section 5 of the Environment Protection Act 1986 for fear of destruction of environment, injury to travelers and damage to vehicles.”

However, dynamites were extensively used undermining the directives, it alleged.

Besides, many civil society organisations had also warned about the impending danger of accidents and had even send out several representations to the concerned authorities, it said.

Some of the concerns expressed were nominal earth cutting works, no slope or step cutting etc, stated RPP highlighting two representations by Chakroma Youth Organisation (CYO) in 2021.

However, the NHIDCL and other parties took up no corrective measures, it claimed.

The complaint also referred to a letter dated March 25, 2023 by the Deputy Commissioner, Chümoukedima to the NHIDCL on a spot verification and survey report pointing out various anomalies in the road construction

The anomalies included use of “sub-standard construction materials, poor engineering and workmanship, lack of prudent and sincere monitoring of work among many others,” it noted.

The DC Chümoukedima then requested the NHIDCL to review and verify to ascertain whether the road was constructed as per approved plan, it added.

Further, the DC, Chümoukedima on July 6, 2023 has clarified with regard to NHIDCL press release stating that the latter’s account of “incident is not accurate and therefore malafide intentions of the NHIDCL is not ruled out,” the RPP pointed out.

Many lives had been lost in the same stretch on series of accidents without adoption of any corrective measures and the repetitive occurrence of accidents may be due to faulty construction method and poor maintenance of road, it contended.

The RPP further said out that there is no safety infrastructure in many places and danger continues to looms large with the exposed and unsettled rocks and multiple visible cracks on its layers above along the stretch.

Another potential disaster waiting to happen is the 2 vertical cliff of 90 degree earth-cutting between Jharnapani and Ghaspani, it added.

To this end, the RPP requested the OC Chümoukedima PS to register a case for negligence and dereliction of duties and investigate those responsible for the lapse of work so that justice is delivered.