[ Amar Sangno ]
ITANAGAR, 9 Feb: Inordinate delay, sub-standard work, ill-maintenance and corruption are synonymous with the Trans-Arunachal Highway (TAH) project of western Arunachal, and the road from ITBP Gate at Tikdo to Potin is no different.
The deplorable condition of the Tikdo to Potin road has angered the commuters.
“It seems that the highway authority has forgotten this portion of the road for good,” said Taring, a Sumo taxi driver, who plies on a regular basis on the said stretch of road.
According to him, the road has not been maintained over the years, except for a few restoration works during monsoon season to keep the road open.
At Chiputa, the vehicles ply over muck dump area as the blacktopped road portion is buried under the landslide, which has never been restored. Similarly, at the Dikrong River Bridge in Harahappa side, some portions of the road have been left untouched, including formation cutting.
A portion of the road near Hoj village, which is a short distance from the Dikrong River Bridge has also been left unmaintained.
The deplorable portion continues till Hokka village after crossing the sinking zone, popularly known as Kala Mitti area.
Appalled by the poor road condition, All Nyishi Youth Association general secretary Bengia Tada urged the highway authority to find an alternate route by creating a diversion around the Kala Mitti area.
“There is no proper drainage system or retaining wall in this stretch of the TAH,” Tada said.
“The Kala Mitti portion needs to be diverted as commuters face untold miseries during raining season,” Tada stated.
He further added that the firm which has been awarded the maintenance works of Potin TAH should complete maintenance work before summer season approaches.
“The Nyishi Heritage Village land was washed away due to wrong construction and poor maintenance of the road. No breast wall or retaining wall has been constructed in the slide zone” said Nyishi Elite Society president Bengia Tolum.
Executive Engineer Doimukh Division (Highway) Gyati Anda informed The Arunachal Times that maintenance work was awarded to M/s BK construction through a tender floated with an amount of Rs 9.15 crore on 12 September, 2020.
The EE Doimukh division further informed that the department is pressurizing the contractor to start work soon, especially its carpeting.
“The proprietor says he will start the carpeting work,” informed EE Anda.
M/S BK Construction did not respond to the queries sent by The Arunachal Times.
As the working season is nearing to an end, the highway department is apparently in a hurry to meet the deadline.
