[ Bengia Ajum ]
ITANAGAR, 15 Nov: The 20-kilometer-long Itanagar-Jote road, Arunachal’s first state highway, is in deplorable condition. Landslides have caused major damage to the road in multiple areas, and in some sections, parts of the highway have been washed away. Heavy monsoon rains in July this year severely damaged the road, forcing authorities to close the stretch between Itanagar and Baat village.
Despite the damage, authorities have not made any significant effort to clear the landslide debris near the highway. Both the contractor and the Public Works Department (PWD) seem to have abandoned the project. Work on the Itanagar-Jote state highway began on October 31, 2021. The highway is being constructed by the Doimukh PWD division, with Bhimji Private Limited of Gujarat as the contractor.
“The contractor and PWD should at least clear the mud that has accumulated near the highway. It not only poses a danger to road users but could also cause further damage to the road. This is supposed to be a two-lane highway, but in many places, due to the debris, it has been reduced to a single-lane road,” said a resident of Poma village.
This road is intended to be the first two-lane state highway in Arunachal, with a formation and carriageway width of 12 meters and 7 meters, respectively. It includes 17.4 km of widening, 2.6 km of embankment, 11.93 km of pucca drains, and a 926-meter-long protection wall. When the work started, T. Kamsi, the retired Chief Engineer of PWD (WZ), who was the Superintending Engineer at that time, informed the media that it would be a “national standard two-lane highway.” However, residents of Sangdupota have repeatedly raised concerns over the quality of work, alleging that it has been compromised. “This road could not withstand even one monsoon. How can we expect it to last? The state government should review the work. This is our first state highway, and we had high expectations, especially since Chief Minister Pema Khandu himself personally monitored the work,” said a resident of Jote.
The Itanagar-Jote road is a lifeline for the people of Sangdupota Circle in Papum Pare district. It also serves important educational institutions like the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Jote, the Government Law College (Jote), and the Film and Television Institute (FTI) Jote, all of which rely on this road for access.
