Nagaland: NH-29 becoming death trap for travellers, complaint filed against construction firms

The Rising People’s Party (RPP), while sharing its grief over the tragic incident on July 4 at NH-29, has questioned the role of all the parties involved namely National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), construction firms/contractors, consultancy firm and the State Public Works Department (PWD).

Further, the regional party has lodged a complaint against the Executive Director, NHIDCL, Contractors, Consultancy firm, the Nagaland Public Works Department and all parties involved in the 4-laning project of NH-29 Dimapur-Kohima road for Gross Negligence and Dereliction of Duties resulting in the death of two persons and causing serious injuries to others and damage of properties in the road accident on July 4, 2023 at New Chumoukedima (Pakala Pahar), Nagaland.

It said the accident is clearly a man-made disaster and that NHIDCL and others involved in the project are responsible for it.

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The RPP pointed out that the Nagaland Pollution Control Board (NPCB) vide letter No. NPCB/EIA-2/2532 dated 25/09/2020 and letter no. NPCB/EIA-2/2677-78 dated 04/02/2021 directed the NHIDCL to refrain from using dynamites for blasting of rocks in the area under Section 5 of the Environment Protection Act 1986 for fear of destruction of the environment, injury to travellers and damage to vehicles. However, dynamite was extensively used undermining the directives of the NPCB, it said.

The party also said many civil society organisations had also warned about the impending danger of accidents and had even sent out several representations to the authorities concerned in this regard. Stating that some of the concerns expressed were nominal earth-cutting works, no slope or step cutting etc., the NHIDCL and other parties, however, took up no corrective measures.

The Chümoukedima deputy commissioner in a spot verification and survey report vide letter No. DC-CMD/LR-13/NH-29/COM/2022/3171-74/CMD dated 25th March 2023 to the NHIDCL general manager pointed out various anomalies in the Dimapur to Kohima NH-29 road construction such as the use of sub-standard construction materials, poor engineering and workmanship, lack of prudent and sincere monitoring of work among many others, it said. The DC in its letter had also requested the NHIDCL to review and verify to ascertain whether the road was constructed as per the approved plan.

Saying that there is no safety infrastructure in many places, the RPP said danger continues to loom large with exposed and unsettled rocks and multiple visible cracks on its layers above along the stretch of the road where the accident happened.
Another potential disaster waiting to happen is two vertical cliffs of 90-degree earth-cutting between Jharnapani and Ghaspani, it said.

Taking these points into consideration, the RPP urged the officer in charge of the police station to register a case of negligence and dereliction of duties and investigate those responsible for the lapse of work so that justice is delivered to the people.