Minister for Roads & Bridges, Kuzholuzo Azo Nienu inspecting the NH-29 stretch at Purana Bazaar with Chief Engineer, Virat Kumar (Centre) and Commander Tejpal Singh. (Morung Photo)
For the many commuters travelling the Purana Bazaar-Naharbari stretch of National Highway (NH) – 29, there is reason to cheer up. With Delhi sanctioning funds for the repair of the 25 kilometer stretch, the Border Roads Organization (BRO) has finally started repair works in one of the dustiest parts of Dimapur.
Sometime before the New Year, repair works on NH 29 were seen in patches - along the 4th Mile stretch and the Chumukedima stretch - but had stopped for a few weeks. Work resumed this week and this time round, the stretch of the highway, which had for so long remained in pathetic conditions making commuters suffer, is finally undergoing some much needed repair.
The bumpy roads notwithstanding, road visibility along this stretch of the highway has been badly affected by dust - a major factor of this being the sand depots on both sides of the highway, and, heavy motor vehicles, which would leave plumes of dust and smoke as they passed through. Also, some light motor vehicles, in their bid to escape the slow moving traffic, go driving off road, often leaving a trail of dust.
With work in progress, BRO, in their bid to reach to the public and have their much maligned name cleared, today, invited State Minister for Roads & Bridges, Kuzholuzo Azo Nienu, for inspection. The Minister, known for his punctuality and no-nonsense approach, arrived about half an hour before schedule, and straight away went about inspecting the repair work being undertaken.
The BRO was represented by Tejpal Singh, Commander, 15 BRTF, and Virat Kumar, Chief Engineer, SEWAK.
The Minister was briefed by the two BRO representatives on the status of work. Nienu, without much ado, raised the issue of quality of repair work at the 4th Mile stretch of the highway - where the newly laid tar is visibly seen coming off. The BRO officials responded that this was because of extreme cold and informed that it will be redone. BRO representatives also explained to the Minister that traffic, amongst other reasons, is why repair work was not moving as fast as they would have liked.
When BRO officials apprised the Minister of not having enough funds to maintain the existing drainage along the highway, cautioning that not maintaining drainage runs the risk of damaged road come the next monsoon, Nienu, assured them of all possible assistance and informed that he would engage someone for the drainage immediately. He then promptly went on to make a phone call, and an engineer arrived not much later.
Speaking to media persons after the inspection, the Minister, calling the stretch the “worst part” of the highway, expressed happiness at the quality of work being undertaken and asked BRO to continue with the good work. Seeking the public’s support, Nienu appealed to the public not to have a negative perception of BRO but called for cooperation towards BRO. He also urged upon the district administration to render support and cooperation to the organization.
