Lies behind defacing Imp in the name of Sewerage Project exposed
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 17: The great inconveniences that commuters in Imphal have been facing for the last many days, due to the digging up of roads purportedly to pave the way for the grand Imphal Sewerage Project has turned out to be a cruel joke played on the people with matter coming to light that no permission was ever given by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to start digging the road!.

In the absence of the requisite permission from the Ministry concerned, the ongoing work of laying pipelines for the Imphal Sewerage Project along the National Highways being taken up by the Public Health Engineering Department as a nodal agency has run into troubled water.

Road being dug up for the Sewerage Project

As the clearance of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had not been sought before digging up the National Highways, police may now arrest any person who is found digging up the National Highways.

Talking to The Sangai Express in this connection, Chief Engineer of Public Works Departmentm, Ng Rashtrapati disclosed that the approval of the regional office of the Ministry at Guwahati, which is mandatory to be taken through PWD, had not been sought before digging up the National Highways in connection with laying the pipelines of the France Government-sponsored Imphal Sewerage Plant.

So in view of the possible strict instructions likely to be received from the Ministry in this regard, all the engineers of the PWD have been informed to report the matter to the police if any person is found carrying on with further digging up of the National Highways and to stop the work at once.

Digging up trenches along the National Highways for the purpose of laying the pipeline has to be carried out only with the approval of the Ministry and after depositing the estimated amount of the damages to be caused in the process by the PHED, Rashtrapati explained.

It had also been agreed to follow the necessary procedures before digging up the National Highways during a joint meeting attended by the Chief Minister, the Chief Secretary and the officials of the two Departments.

But the PHED did consider it essential to get the requisite approval of the Ministry till date, he alleged.

While pointing out that it is mandatory on the part of PHED as well as to consult the Works Department on the sites for laying the pipeline of the project, Rashtrapati said reminders to this effect have been sent to the PHED on numerous occasions earlier but no response were received.

Rashtrapati, however, informed that the permission had been given for digging up the State Highways and other roads for the Imphal Sewerage Project along with the agreement for repairing of the said roads after the work by the PWD.

Even here too, instead of filling up the roads after the work with the dug up earth, PHED has to fill up the trenches with stone chips and the Works Department is responsible for black-topping of the same for which the PHED is to deposit the necessary fund, the Chief Engineer said.

In connection with digging up of the road sides by the BSNL for laying cable wires, Rashtrapati said it is being carried out after signing an agreement with the State PWD according to which BSNL would be responsible for filling up and repairing of the damaged roads.

Efforts to contact and get the comments of the officials of the PHED in this regard drew blank.

Meanwhile, in accordance to the instruction of the Chief Secretary for black topping of all the roads in the State with the help of machines, arrangements made been for procuring two more Hot Mixed Plants which would be kept at Imphal in addition to the six Hot Mixed Plants already there.