Nagaland government slams NHIDCL over highway safety lapses

DIMAPUR — The Nagaland government on Sunday expressed concern over the lack of tangible progress in ensuring the safety of commuters on the Dimapur-Kohima four-lane highway (NH-29), specifically at the Pagalapahar stretch.

In a press release, the Public Works Department (National Highway) stated that the government has been constantly impressing upon the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) — the agency responsible for maintaining quality and safety standards on the Dimapur-Kohima 4-lane highway — to expeditiously put in place safety measures, especially on the stretches under Package -I, considering the terrain.

With the safety of commuters and the interest of people being paramount, the state government has officially taken the matter up with the NHIDCL on 18 occasions from April 11, 2023, to June 6, 2024, “but no earnest tangible initiative has been observed on the ground,” it said.

Highlighting its engagement with the implementing agency, the release stated that following a rockfall incident on July 4, 2023, at Pagalapahar, the state government had constituted a High-Level Technical Committee (HLTC) on July 5, 2023. The HLTC submitted its report and recommendations, which were conveyed to the NHIDCL on July 19, 2023, for immediate action.

As per the recommendations, the NHIDCL was directed to carry out short-term measures, undertake a comprehensive study of the terrain and take up necessary measures in order to address and mitigate the risks in the future.

Further concerns were highlighted by the state government in December 2023, based on a report by an independent technical expert committee of IIT (Bombay).

The report, it said, raised serious concerns regarding the construction of the road, as well as the hill-cutting method, pointing out significant deviations from IRC guidelines, inadequate slope protection, poor rockfall mitigation, and non-compliance with safety and quality standards, among other issues.

As a follow-up, the NHIDCL was instructed to examine the works to be undertaken so as to make NH 29 a safe, smooth, and all-weather national highway, it said.

According to the release, the state Cabinet, taking cognisance of the growing safety concerns, discussed the measures that needed to be taken during a meeting on Jan. 22, 2024.

The Cabinet decided to engage an independent third party to undertake a detailed study and recommend measures so that the highway can be made safe for commuters. Accordingly, IIT Guwahati has been engaged to undertake this exercise, which will commence its studies soon.

The state Cabinet had also questioned the NHIDCL as to how and why the completion certificate for Dimapur-Kohima Package-II has been issued when several portions are still to be completed and quality issues remain to be addressed, it said, adding that the office of the Managing Director, NHIDCL Hqs, was also apprised of these concerns on January 31, 2024.

Subsequently, in April 2024, the state government instructed NHIDCL to provide a detailed report outlining the specific safety measures implemented along the Pagalapahar stretch of NH-29. It also warned the agency that it would be held solely accountable for any incidents or accidents arising from inadequate safety measures.

Despite the state government’s ongoing efforts to ensure road safety for all commuters, a recent rockfall incident at the same stretch, resulting in passenger injuries and significant vehicle damage, has caused serious concern.

“The state government is resolute to take up the matter with the concerned authorities in all seriousness to effectively address the matter and urge the proactive and sincere response of the NHIDCL to achieve this collective goal for the safety of commuters,” it asserted.