Imphal, January 05 2008: Although installation work of Solar Power Obstructing Light (SPOL) on hill tops to enable night landing of aircrafts at Imphal airport is nearing completion, installation work atop Baruni hills is only in its initial stages.

Installation work of SOPLs were taken up atop Baruni hills, Heibok hills, Chingphu hills and Phunal Maring hills since one year back under a package announced by the Prime Minister to facilitate night landing at Tulihal Airport.

Except for Baruni hills, installation work of SOPLs in the other hill tops are nearing completion.

Although installation work had been started at Baruni hills too, the Transport Department sent a proposal to the Planning Department for the next phase of fund only recently.

As such, installation work here will take a longer time than the others.

Out of Rs 19,55,65000 required for the installation work at Baruni hills, Planning Department released Rs 5,38,92000, informed an official source from the Transport Department.

The total sanctioned amount includes Rs 8.29 crores for Works Department, Rs 5.83 crores for the Police Housing Corporation, Rs 1.53 crores for MANIREDA, Rs 3.55 crores for Forest Department towards multipurpose afforestation and Rs 35.65 lakhs as net present value.

Out to the amount of Rs 5,38,92000 released by the Planning Department, Works Department should get Rs 3 crores, Police Housing Corporation Rs 2 crores and MANIREDA Rs 38.27 lakhs.

So far, road cutting work till Khalong hill top has been completed from the released amount but WBM work is pending.

At present, preliminary work for making drainage from Mahadeva site to Khalong is under process.

As the spot fixed earlier for installation of SPOL tower would affect the Khalong sacred site, site preparation work is going on at a spot a shot distance below by increasing height of the tower a little.

With a larger portion of the installation work yet to be executed, the Transport Department sent the proposal for prompt release of the remaining amount to the Planning Department so that the remaining work can be initiated at the earliest, conveyed the official source.

The installation work can be completed latest by March, claimed the source.

The completed work would be inspected by officials of the Airport Authority of India.

Once they certify the towers, test run of aircraft for night landing at Imphal airport will be conducted, added the source.

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