The work on Package C of the Itanagar-Banderdewa section of NH 415 hit a hurdle after a geotechnical investigation team engaged to start investigation at the location of a proposed viaduct under the four-lane project was stopped from carrying out the work by the landowners, claiming non-payment of compensation. Recently, the ICR administration handed over encumbrance-free land to the PWD highway to start the work on Package C. However, the land compensation for the viaduct site has not been cleared yet. The package will start from Nirjuli and end at Banderdewa.
As the land issue vis-à-vis the area earmarked for construction of the viaduct has not been cleared yet, the contractor for Package C, ARSS Infrastructure Projects Ltd, should take up work in the area which is encumbrance-free. The work should start from the Banderdewa side at the earliest. In the meanwhile, the ICR administration should speed up the effort to clear land issues in the viaduct area. The 1.1 km long viaduct is a major part of Package C and effort should be made to start the work sooner. The land compensation issue over Package B (Papu Nallah to Niruli) is also yet to be resolved. The people of the ICR need to extend all possible support to the administration for the construction of the four-lane highway. Without the support of the local population, it will be a Herculean task to construct Packages B and C of the Itanagar-Banderdewa section of NH 415.