Source: The Sangai Express / SS Guite
Lamka, May 23:
Against the common perception and the dignity it has earn since the seventies, Border Road Organisation (BRO) which was re-entrusted to construct the NH 150 or Tipaimukh Road since October 2006 is now losing its hard earn benchmark as a team of media representatives unearth many sub-standard components while visiting the construction site.
Soft and sub-standard rocks could be detected on every part of the road stretch while the sand use for constructing drainage resembles that of a mud rather than sand.
When asked whether there is any dearth of funds or standard materials, an official supervising the local laborers nonetheless reply in the negative.
According to a local resident, the compromise on the quality of work was intentional as the officials don't care to check on the quality of the rocks nor on the sands that were dug out from the river banks of Tuila river with a JCB.
An official from the BRO who was supervising the local laborers also agreed on the findings made by the media personnel.
He nonetheless assured to reassess construction materials and initiate steps to improve them at par with the standard quality.
150 dumca and 300 local laborers were engaged in the construction work in addition to the machineries nine tipper trucks, four road rollers, a JCB and Bulldozer.
Such uneasonable compromise on the work quality has jolted many as it has been their long standing wish to improve and standardise this very highway since 1975.And according to Tipaimukh Road Area Business Development Association (TRABDA) officials who had accompanied the media team, at no point of time in their twenty years of engagement, such a deplorable construction were ever witnessed.
In October last year, after a gap of 10 years BRO has resumed the task of maintaining the highway which by now was promoted to a National Highway status.
About 26 kms stretch have already been blacktopped, while the advance (leveling) team has reached the 64 kms mark at Khawjim and the ensuing team that lays stone and construct the drainage has reached P Sejol, 33 kms from here.




