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Dimapur, May 26 (EMN): The Khaghaboto Area Kumai Kuqhakulu (KTKK) has appealed to the Public Work Development (PWD) department to depute technical experts to the RCC Bridge over Dhansiri River at Shozukhu-Zukihe within two weeks for certification, and that the bridge will be opened for traffic.
This came five days after Dimapur Deputy Commissioner Rajesh Soundararajan issued an advisory asking the public not to ply on the RCC Bridge over Dhansiri River connecting Shozukhu and Zukihe villages till it is certified by technical experts. It was issued in pursuance to the letter from PWD Engineer-in-chief that said the bridge had no guarantee of structural safety and stability as it was completed without the authorisation and approval of the department.
Speaking at a press conference held at KTKK office in Khaghaboto on Thursday, Head GB and chairman of KTKK, Vikato Swu expressed displeasure over the DC’s order and asked the PWD department to certify the bridge within 15 days. He said the public will be allowed to ply on the bridge as it the “lifeline” for many villages under Niuland district.
If the department feels the bridge is not safe enough for the public to ply, it should give alternative arrangement immediately within 2-3 years, but till then, we will be using the present bridge, he said.
He added if any casualty happens, “the department and administration should be responsible because the foundation and all the structures were done under the supervision of the PWD department”.
The project was abandoned for 15 years and the public completed through crowd fundraising, said Swu while sharing about the details of the project. Initially, the project was awarded to M/S PABSCON in 2007 to be completed within 24 month time. Kahuli Sema was the Executive Engineer PWD (R&B) Dimapur division at that time, and under her supervision all the pillars were erected and the slab was half done, he stated.
‘However, the work stopped midway in 2012-13 for reason best known to the contractor and the concerned department, and we appealed to both the parties to resume the work but they ignored our pleas and started the blame game,’ he added.
He said that in 2015, they submitted a memorandum to the then Governor PB Acharya, who was attending student union conference, to complete the bridge, after which officials inspected the site within a month and recommended immediate resumption of work but “the PWD department did not take any initiative”.
Providing more details, he said they requested the then Road and Bridges minister Vikheho Swu in 2016 to complete the bridge but no progress was seen. In the following year, the KTKK conveyed its displeasure to the department and the contractor over failing to sort out their differences and overlooking the well-being of people from 17 villages under Khaghaboto Area and 38 villages under EAC Aghunaqa block.
On May 3, 2017, the KTKK issued another letter to the department stating that “the public in their own resources will start doing what they can and will not wait for the government in completing the bridge”, he shared, adding that the same was conveyed to MLA Jacob Zhimomi and appealed to resume the project which was left abandoned for 13 years.
In 2019, they were informed by the PABSCON that they will not be able to continue the work and thus asked them to seek for other contractors or individual.
Meanwhile, the head GB said, the PHED minister consulted the PWD department, after which an engineer from the department was entrusted to survey the structure and was further suggested to consult an expert from Delhi.
After waiting for a year, Swu said the department relayed its inability to provide fund for the project, in 2020, “the necessary expenditure incurred for site visit and bridge assessment and other related expenditure by the technical team engaged by the PWD department were borne by the KTKK”.
After thorough investigation, the expert committee submitted its report to the PWD department, he added. But then again, the department did not give any updates, so they approached the Minister of PHED Jacob Zhimomi, who officially wrote a letter to the department to assist in completing the bridge, and the department replied that the technician should survey properly and continue the work.
“The construction process on the aforementioned RCC Bridge took 11 months for completion and during the period, despite appealing to the NPWD department for technical assistance letter dated February 10, 2021, the department failed to comply. Taking all the technical inputs and correction required has been taken into consideration during the process of completing the bridge,” the head GB said.
He also asked if the work done till date by the engineers under the department were not qualified even though the pillars were erected under the supervision of Executive Engineer of the department. He also said that the DC issued the notice without even consulting the public and the concerned area public leaders.
He mentioned that the abandoned bridge of about 40 feet was completed through crowd funding and with assistance from Zhimomi before it was inaugurated in February this year.
He lamented that the department did not issue advisory about public safety while using hanging bridge for the past 50 years, nor did they listen to the grievances of the public to complete the bridge.
He also asked “why no such advisory was provided during the 11 months period in our endeavour to complete the 2-lane RCC bridge and why three months after the inauguration of this Shozukhy-Zukihe 2-lane RCC bridge since the NPWD department has issued the advisory notice to the public to refrain from plying over the RCC bridge”.
President of Youth Front Kaghaboto area, Kivito Awomi alleged that that the department had released all the bills amounting to INR 6 crore and 30 lakh was released even before the project was completed. He asked the department to find out the culprit who misused the fund, saying that citizens become the victims in such cases.
‘We have been using hanging bridge for more than 40 years, even risking lives of the children and sending them to schools during that time, but there was no safety measures or concern for the residents,’ he lamented.
The press conference was also attended General Secretary of KTKK Khuheto Zhimomi, public leader Kakheho Chishi, and president of Niuland District GB Association Jepitoshe L Jakha.