Alo Kent R
Sovima
Not how close we tread disaster but how we walk on it, can at the least describe what happened to the bridge to Niuland over river Chathe.
There are instances of our bridges being washed away in the past too. At river Tapu (upper reaches of Doyang in Zunheboto district), on the way to Phek, Peren etc.
About 10 years back an RCC pier was erected to support the bridge at Jharna pani towards Jalukie-Peren road. It got washed away. No one was/is accountable. The bridge still stands today, for how long, only another incident like this may happen then. Likewise, all our other bridges might be hanging on precariously for all we know. Till then, periodical inspection and official report can be submitted for accountability.
About 2 years back due to safety issues the bridge was made 1-way and no entry to heavy vehicles. But it is to be noted that safety of beam and girders were not the reason. It was the supporting pier along with the foundations which were the primary concern. And simply reducing the load on it would not have prevented the river from gnawing at its foundations. We had 2 dry seasons to take remedial measures (like mass concrete underpinning or auxiliary reinforcement to the existing piers). We did not.
Sometime back, about 200 feet downstream near this bridge Hume pipes were laid all across the river to perhaps facilitate the traffic congestion at the bridge. Please do not take it personal, but looks like the concern engineer simply forgot the basic laws of buoyancy and pressure of water. All said and done, when the rains came the inevitable happened. You can see its remnants alongside the river banks like the "Ozymandias of Egypt".
With my thoughts to friends and colleagues in the department concern, 1 ask why, we have been so inept at every turn. Projects are simply drawn on the table or simply photo copied without verifying the actual local/site conditions. You know better, the glaring examples on 2-lanning of road in Longleng, Chazouba-Zunheboto. The project reports were in tune of being copied from another project, and the discrepancy in estimates and actual conditions were mind boggling. Other factors like 10% commission to all concern, National Worker tax etc compounded the problem and finally, The project being abandoned altogether.
Back to the bridge, probably a HPC would be set up, headed by MLA/Minister, controlled by a jack of all bureaucrat, processed by incompetent technocrat and executed by a 1st class contractor with 10% loyalty. Like the 1962 India-China war (according to Gen. Henderson & Brig. Bhagat report) the exercise/project is doomed before it even began.
But are we willing to listen and correct our mistakes from the past? That question remains unanswered.
