Poor Quality Work led to NH-415 Culvert Collapse: Executive Engineer Nani Tath

A CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: Executive Engineer (Highway Division) Nani Tath said that the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) of highway construction agency is to be blamed for the poor quality of work which led to the collapse of the culvert in NH-415 at D-Sector near here.

Collapse of Culvert in NH-415 in Arunachal

The statement came following a virtual meeting convened on Thursday by Itanagar Capital Region (ICR) Deputy Commissioner Talo Potom to discuss matters relating to flood damage and monsoon preparedness within the ICR. Tath said the culvert could not take the load and collapsed as it was not strongly supported at the ground level.

"The contractor has to be blamed for his lackadaisical. The culvert should have been constructed, if the base of it was backed by the original base of land," he said, adding that the area had seepage due to which it was easily washed off during the rain.

He said that the highway department along with district administration has already served a letter to the concerned authority for an explanation.

When questioned on the restoration of NH-415 from Hollongi to Chimpu, Tath said that the department had earlier sent a revised estimate for the restoration to the Ministry of Highway, which is yet to be approved.

ICR Deputy Commissioner Talo Potom said that officials from District Disaster Management Agency (DDMA) along with Itanagar EAC were engaged to clear the blockade.

"Accordingly, the landslide was cleared by the person involved in illegal earth cutting," he said, adding that the district administration has arrested the people involved in illegal earth cutting.

He said that many people within ICR were also arrested for illegal earth cutting, for which case has also been registered in the respective jurisdiction. He said that around 15 people from Hollongi and Chimpu area have been arrested in his tenure as Additional District Magistrate (ADM).

Earlier, Executive Engineer, Itanagar power department Joram Lali also specifically said that the illegal earth cutting and blocking of electric poles is the main reason for repeated hindrance in swift power supply in ICR.

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