NHIDCL MD Mahmood Ahmed inspects NH-29 in Nagaland amid travel threat to commuters

DIMAPUR — Amid growing fear of another tragic incident along the Chümoukedima-Jharnapani stretch of the National Highway-29 (NH-29), with rockfalls and mudslides continuing to pose a threat to commuters, Managing Director (MD) of NHIDCL, Mahmood Ahmed, inspected the road on Saturday to oversee the gravity of the situation.

The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) team led by the MD, and accompanied by the deputy commissioner of Chümoukedima Abhinav Shivam and other officials, were greeted by huge boulders and heaps of mud, rendering one side of the four-lane road useless.

The stretch of road, which is the lifeline of Nagaland state, wore a picture of inaction and neglect as rocks continue to fall from the steep slope even after the visit of NHIDCL Executive Director (ED) Riten Kumar Singh on July 6, two days after a rockslide killed two persons and injured three others.

During the joint inspection on Saturday, Abhinav briefed Ahmed about the sinking zone, improper slope cutting, safety issues and insufficient land along the Chümoukedima-Jharnapani stretch.

The NHIDCL MD refused to attend to queries posed by journalists during the inspection, but he was overheard assuring the Chümoukedima DC to take up the slope protection work on priority basis after the monsoon season.

However, Ahmed assured to address the media after completing the inspection.

He is likely to have a meeting with the deputy chief minister of Nagaland, TR Zeliang, who is also the minister in-charge of National Highways, and the chief secretary of the state today, Sunday, as per the itinerary.

He is also expected to inspect the Kohima-Mao road and Kohima-Jessami road, Package I, during his four-day visit to the state.

Meanwhile, NHIDCL Executive Director , RO, Kohima, Amarendra Narayan Singh reiterated that more land is required for making the Chümoukedima-Jharnapai stretch of the NH-29 safer.

“We need some more land. The Detailed Project Report (DPR) will decide how much additional land is required. I cannot say, so the exclusive team for slope protection will make the land acquisition (LA) plan, and based on that plan how much is required will be decided,” he said.

He also said that the 2-lane along the stretch of NH-29 will continue to remain closed to traffic because of continuous landslide. “We are waiting for the landslide to subside,” he said.    

As suggested by Zeliang to display the names of the appointed firm/contractors on a signboard within the portion of every package on every NH in Nagaland in order to instil accountability, he said instructions have been given to implement the same.

Singh added that the total sanctioned amount of package I and II must be around INR 600 crore. However, the NHIDCL portal mentioned that it is INR 726.55 crore.

It may be mentioned that the total length of the NH-29 from Dimapur to Kohima is 42.86 km as per the NHIDCL portal. As per the project status on the NHIDCL portal, the physical progress of the project — ‘4-Laning of Dimapur-Kohima Road from design Km 123.840 to Km 138.775 under SARDP-NE on EPC basis (Package – I)” — is 99.81% while the financial progress is 97.71.

The original date of completion was September 15 2019, and the project is physically completed as per the status report mentioned in the implementing agency’s portal.

Also read: Rockslide due to natural calamity, claims NHIDCL chief