Black topped yesterday, to be dug up tomorrow
Price of development ?
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 11 2008: In an apparent case of complete lack of co-ordination between various Government departments in taking up developmental works, PHE Department is all set to dig up ditches to lay the pipeline of the Imphal Sewerage Project along the stretch of the road in front of the Governor's bungalow and Kanglapat barely a month after the PWD black topped the said stretch of road.

Talking to The Sangai Express, an official of the PHE Department informed that a meeting presided over by the Chief Minister last month had discussed and resolved that atleast some portion of the road stretch that had been black-topped by the Works Department need to be dug up for laying the pipeline of the Sewerage Project.

The road stretch in front of Raj Bhawan which was recently black topped and now faces the prospect of being dug up

In taking up the works of phase-I of the Project one after another on war footing, the efforts to save the area where a line of trees are growing in front of the Governor's bungalow has caused unnecessary delay.

Forest Department had also instructed that the trees should not be affected.

As these trees are not just old but have been contributing in beautifying the city, it was earlier decided that the pipeline of the project would be laid inside the wall fencing of the Governor's bungalow.

However, the meeting presided over by the Chief Minister resolved that in order not to encroach upon the fencing wall of the Governor's bungalow, the pipeline should be laid along the trench running in between the fencing wall and the National Highway.

As a matter of fact, digging along the trench at some points had already been done.

Starting from Gate No.I of the Governor's bungalow, the pipeline would be laid along some portion of the trench and again from near gate no.II, the pipeline would be laid some 8 metres into the National Highway to ensure that the trees are not affected, the official disclosed.

Since laying of the pipeline over the National Highway is to continue on the northern side to connect with the pipeline in front of Johnstone Higher Secondary School, half of the National Highway is likely to be blocked while carrying out the work, the source informed.

However, as blocking half of the National Highway may cause lot of inconveniences to the public in view of the existing traffic flow, survey/investigation is being carried out to find out the possibility of boring tunnel, the source said.

Boring tunnel would require a machine known as Trenchless, rate quotations have been sought from the outside farms, though the Government has not yet been intimated on purchasing the said machine costing approximately Rs 25 lakh, the source informed.

If such a machine can be inducted, then there would be no need for traffic diversion or blocking half the road and causing destruction to the road in laying the pipeline, the source said.

The source further informed that earth work for construction of the treatment plant of the project has already been started and fitting of the pile caps and construction of the wall would be done after completion of the earth work.

Once that is over, then people would see the construction of the treatment plant.