Time to focus on protecting NH-37
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: July 13, 2021 -

INAUGURATION of the Makru Bridge by Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari on Monday will definitely be recorded as one of the notable achievements of the N Biren government in terms of infrastructure development.

Completion of the 122-metre long RCC steel bridge, built at a cost of about Rs 45 crore with funding from the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, will now facilitate smoother transportation of both passengers and goods after decades of inconveniences faced by the transport operators.

It needs no reminding that improving condition of the highway stretch will serve no purpose unless the existing old bridges along the Imphal-Jiribam stretch of National Highway 37 could be kept in working condition or new structures constructed.

Though the ministry of road transport and highways of the then UPA government sanctioned the bridge projects at Rs 59.05 crore for Barak Bridge and Rs 43.68 crore for Makru Bridge back in 2013, the project work actually started only in 2017 after Nitin Gadkari declared in June 2014 that development of the Imphal-Jiribam highway would be included in the 100-day programmes of the Narendra Modi government.

For the record, Gadkari's assurance was preceded by the Prime Minister promising during an election rally held in Imphal in February 2014 to develop the highway on priority basis if the BJP came to power in Delhi.

Thus, operationalization of Makru bridge and the Barak bridge nearing completion ought to be credited to the BJP-led governments, both at the centre and in the state.

As completion of the Makru bridge would be seeing imminent increase in the vehicular movement along the NH-37, the work agency would now be under pressure to finish pending projects, including the Barak bridge, without which operation of heavy vehicles cannot be ensured, especially in view of the frequent breakdown of bridges along the unfriendly terrain.

Importance of having firm bridges along the highway stretch could also be comprehended from authorities of the Northeast Frontier Railways repetitively citing transportation bottlenecks as the main reason for the Jiribam-Imphal rail line project unlikely to meet the completion target of year 2022.

Similar to the rail line project encountering many problems such as land demarcation and compensation issues, unlawful elements targeting project workers and engineers, and civil society and student organisations making it a point to derail project works had been impeding works related to improvement of road condition and construction of bridges along the route.

However, even if the pending projects are completed in the coming weeks or months, there is no guarantee that organisations as well as disruptive elements would allow free movement of vehicles as the two national highways that connect the state with the rest of the country remain the primary targets for agitators to highlight their grievances.

Thus, it is imperative that the government of Manipur give priority to protecting the transport operators along the NH-37 as goods carriers prefer the Imphal-Jiribam stretch owing to a lower risk factor, fewer incidents of extortion and believing that it would relatively be easier for the state government to control the road.