Of
a collapsed bridge and weak road link
From our Correspondent
Sentinel Assam
SILCHAR, June 15: With the onset of the monsoon, there is a
lurking fear over the closure of the NH 44, the vital road
connecting Barak Valley, Mizoram, Tripura, the western
fringes of Manipur as well as Meghalaya with the country via
Guwahati. Besides the landslide-prone areas of Sonapur, the
bailey bridge put up at the down stream Malidahar, 70 km
from here, in place of the concrete bridge, cannot
accommodate the flow of vehicular traffic and sustain it.
Heavily-loaded trucks violating the maximum lead restriction
of 20 metric tonnes have created a fissure on the bailey
bridge built in September, 2005. All sorts of vehicular
traffic had to be suspended from May 1 last.
Though movement of vehicles was restored within ten days by
repairing the bridge, apprehension remains about the
continuity of the connectivity of NH 44. The RCC bridge,
which was constructed by the British during World War II,
was maintained by the Asom PWD till 1972 after which the
Border Roads Task Force (BRTF) took up the responsibility of
looking after it. The RCC bridge collapsed after its
bearings were dislodged due to heavy sloughing of river
Baleswar.
When commercial vehicles with essential commodities lie
stranded in Cachar-Meghalaya hills, its economic impact can
well be realized. People of the valley and the states
affected by disruption of road connectivity are pressing for
the construction of the RCC bridge at Malidahar.
When contacted, KR Sasikanthan, second in command of the 42
BRTF, said, “The RCC bridge alone can ease and ensure
traffic flow. Proposal of Rs 7.28 crore for a 79-metre span
bridge has already been sent to the director general of the
BRO, New Delhi.” He added to say, “approval of the plan and
the estimate is expected by September.”
Sasikanthan pointed out that despite letters of request to
the chief secretaries of Asom, Meghalaya and Tripura, as
well as the district administration of Cachar and Karimganj
to regulate the plying of overloaded trucks within their
respective jurisdiction for the safety and sustainability of
the bailey bridge, “none of them had cared to reply.” Even
their request to Asom and Meghalaya to deploy policemen at
either end of the bridge falling under their administration
has evoked no response.
When this scribe visited the spot, BRTF men were soon
monitoring the loaded trucks. Overloaded trucks are made to
off-load to the permissible limit. The traffic census
carried out by the BRTF reveals huge volume of vehicles
moving through the bailey bridge. Around 1200 buses, 2003
trucks, 1100 jeeps, taxis, Sumos and motorcycles from both
sides negotiate through the fragile bridge everyday.
“All possible measures have been taken to prevent landslides
at Sonapur, the most troubled spot on the NH-44, just 100 km
from here,” revealed Sasikanthan. He said the earlier plan
of an alternative route across river Lobha to bypass Sonapur
has been dropped. Nor is the much-talked about tunnelling
down of the river Lobha to avoid the landslide-active zone
under the consideration of the Border Road Organization, he
stated.
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