GUWAHATI: The Union Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region (DoNER) has asked Assam and other states in the Northeast to use rainwater-resistant technology for road construction so as to ensure durability.
The soil texture in the Northeast leads to early damage to roads during the rainy season. DoNER provides funds for the construction of roads in the Northeast under NESIDS-Roads (North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme-Roads).
According to an office memorandum published on September 2, 2024, a meeting of the Empowered Inter-Ministerial Committee (EIMC) of NESIDS (Roads) was held in New Delhi with the DoNER Secretary in the chair.
The meeting had a detailed discussion on the preparations of DPRs (Detailed Project Reports) of road projects and durability of roads in the Northeast.
The EIMC suggested to all north-eastern states that while preparing DPRs of road projects, new technologies for the road construction should invariably be used as per Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and IRC (Indian Road Congress) guidelines so that the roads have longer durability and protection from rainwater.
As many as 444 road projects under NESIDS (roads) have been ongoing in the Northeast with an approved cost of Rs 7400.09 crore as of July 31, 2024. Of this, Assam has the highest number of 197 road projects with an approved cost of Rs 2800.52 crore.
Arunachal Pradesh has 58 road projects with an approved cost of Rs 998.35 crore, Manipur has 50 road projects costing Rs 642.23 crore, Meghalaya has 36 road projects costing Rs 855.64 crore, Mizoram has 25 road projects costing Rs 486.90 crore, Nagaland has 31 road projects with an approved cost of Rs 549.16 crore, Sikkim has 16 road projects with a cost of Rs 227.40 crore, and Tripura has 31 road projects with a cost of Rs 839.88 crore under construction.
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