NH-29 rockslide: Nagaland PWD points fingers at NHIDCL amid safety concerns

July 8, 2024 15 Views No Comment

Kohima, July 8 (MExN): Two days after another rockslide incident on National Highway-29, the Nagaland Public Works Department (National Highway) emphasised that ensuring the safety of commuters and addressing the concerns of the public are top priorities for the State government, which has consistently urged NHIDCL to mitigate risks along the Dimapur-Kohima 4-lane road.

The Department has also urged the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) to expeditiously implement safety measures, especially on the stretches under Package-I considering the terrain, it stated.

The NHIDCL is the agency responsible for maintaining quality parameters and safety standards of the Dimapur-Kohima 4-lane highway, it added.

In a press release, NPWD (NH) informed that following the July 4, 2023 incident at ‘Pagla Pahar,’ the State Government had constituted a High-Level Technical Committee (HLTC) the next day. The HLTC’s report and recommendations were conveyed to NHIDCL on July 19 for ‘immediate action,’ it maintained. Among other directives, NHIDCL was instructed to carry out short-term measures as per the HLTC’s recommendations and to undertake a comprehensive study of the terrain to mitigate future risks, it highlighted.

The Department further stated that in December 2023, the State Government had also pointed out the report and findings of the IIT (Bombay) Independent Technical Expert Committee, raising serious concerns regarding the construction and hill cutting methods on the highway.

The report highlighted significant deviations from IRC (Indian Roads Congress) guidelines, inadequate slope protection, poor rockfall mitigation, and non-compliance with safety and quality standards, among other issues, it added.

As a follow-up, the agency was instructed to examine the works to be undertaken to ensure NH-29 becomes a safe, smooth, and all-weather highway, it said.

Taking cognisance of the growing safety concerns along the ‘Pagla Pahar’ stretch, the State Cabinet, in its meeting held on January 22, 2024, discussed the necessary measures to be taken and decided to engage an independent third party to undertake a detailed study and recommend measures to ensure the highway’s safety for commuters, it said. Accordingly, IIT Guwahati has been engaged to conduct this exercise, which will commence its studies soon, it added.

The State Cabinet also questioned NHIDCL on how and why a completion certificate for Dimapur-Kohima Package-II had been issued when several portions are yet to be completed and quality issues remain to be addressed.

According to NPWD (NH), both concerns were brought to the notice of the office of the Managing Director, NHIDCL Headquarters, on January 31, 2024.

Furthermore, in April 2024, the State Government instructed NHIDCL to submit specific safety measures implemented along the stretch of NH-29 and warned that the agency would be solely responsible for any incidents or accidents due to inadequate safety measures, it added.

The Department highlighted that in the interest of public and road safety on the Dimapur-Kohima 4-lane of NH-29, with special regard to the ‘Pagla Pahar’ stretch, the State Government has officially raised the issue with NHIDCL on as many as eighteen occasions from April 11, 2023, to June 19, 2024. However, no significant tangible initiative has been observed on the ground, it asserted.

To this end, it noted that while the State Government is making all possible efforts to ensure road travel is safe for commuters, it was distressing to witness another incident at the Pagla Pahar stretch of NH-29 on July 5, 2024, resulting in injury to four individuals and vehicle damage.

The State Government is committed to addressing the matter with the concerned authorities in a serious manner and urges NHIDCL to respond proactively and sincerely to ensure commuter safety, it added.