Restoration work of the road over-bridge near Hotel Tragopan on National Highway-29 in Dimapur has finally begun, more than five months after the district administration conducted a trial run to assess the traffic flow before commencing the actual repair work. This is a much-needed initiative from the state government. The citizens will now heave a sigh of relief despite the traffic inconveniences they have to go through for months following the closure of the road and other restrictions on vehicular movement, as the bridge is not in good shape. The bridge, which has been in service for more than five decades and subjected to heavy live load, certainly required major repairs even if the government doesn’t have funds to construct a new one in its place. Through the timely intervention, the state government, in fact, may have averted a possible tragedy. A repeat of the 2017 tragedy that killed four people after the Bailey bridge over the Chathe river that links NH 29 with Niuland collapsed will surely invite the wrath of the people. Lesson learned, the government has been prompt in addressing such public infrastructure-related grievances, including the British-era bridge over the Dhansiri river at Kuda village that developed cracks a few years ago, with new bridges built at both locations. The restoration work of the road over-bridge near Hotel Tragopan could have been taken up much earlier, considering its age and daily live load, but it is better late than never.
Well, collapse of infrastructure facilities like bridges and flyovers is not new to India. More than a year ago, at least 26 people were killed after an under-construction railway bridge collapsed in Mizoram. Bihar saw the collapse of more than a dozen bridges this year itself amid heavy rainfall, prompting the state government to take action, including the suspension of several engineers. A PIL was also filed over concerns about the safety of the bridges in the state. The Supreme Court too took notice of the incidents. While disaster caused by natural calamities is one thing, those caused by poor workmanship, compromise in quality, design flaws, poor maintenance, etc. are quite another. However, ageing is one of the main causes of bridge collapse, as old structures are more vulnerable to cave in due to several reasons, including structural deterioration. This calls for the need to inspect infrastructure facilities, especially old structures, at regular intervals. The government should ensure the safety of citizens by maintaining public infrastructure. Such precautionary measures are needed more in natural disaster-prone regions like the Northeast. And it is even more important today due to the frequency of extreme weather events caused by climate change.
