The Meghalaya High Court has asked the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to take remedial measures to prevent mudslides around the Sonapur tunnel on National Highway-6.
The court also asked NHAI to consider placing rocks and nets besides building retaining walls on the sides of the mountain on either side of the tunnel to ensure that the landslides do not affect navigability along the route.
The division bench of the High Court was hearing a PIL filed by Kynjaimon Amse on the matter.
During the hearing, the NHAI told the court that the entire road was previously under the State PWD and has recently been taken over by NHAI.
Stating that landslides around the tunnel have made it extremely difficult for the tunnel to be navigable, the NHAI said that sufficient manpower has been engaged to remove the mud and debris and make the tunnel available to the heavy traffic passing either way.
The NHAI complained that the tunnel is in an area which is prone to landslides and, oftentimes, the slush chokes up the entirety of the tunnel.
The NHAI also said that it is exploring the nature of additional work that is necessary to allow the Sonapur tunnel to function normally and appropriate action in such regard will be taken expeditiously.
“NHAI should ensure that such stretch is available to traffic at all times and that repair works continue all the time, particularly during the monsoon, to ensure that the key connection to the Barak Valley part of the Assam and to the states of Tripura, Manipur and Mizoram is not inconveniently disrupted. It is imperative that a long-term measure be indicated to arrest further mudflow into the tunnel,” the High Court said.
Meanwhile, the State PWD (Roads) filed a report before the High Court during today’s hearing regarding repair of Jowai by-pass under NH-6 (NH-44), which is a 7.997 km stretch from Mukhla (Thadlaskein) to Mihmyntdu.
According to the report, the repair work began at a time when heavy rainfall and floods occurred. Further, the report revealed that because of the heavy traffic on the bypass, vehicles had to be allowed to ply immediately upon the bitumen layer being laid without the layer being given time to settle.
The report stated that the contractor has been asked to rebuild the damaged portions of the by-pass. Photographs have been appended to the report indicating the repair being undertaken at the 5th km.
Apart from this, the report indicates that work is on for the roadside drain clearance along the entire by-pass to ensure that there is no accumulation of water on the road surface. Photographs of the roadside drain clearance works have also been appended to the report.
“It is hoped that the repair work on the bypass is completed as expeditiously as possible and some amount of continuing repair work undertaken even during the monsoon as the wear and tear of the road is more pronounced during such period,” the High Court said.
The High Court also directed the NHAI to file a new report pertaining to the NH-6 stretch beyond Khliehriat and up to Ratacherra and even beyond. It also asked the State PWD (Roads) to file another report about the Jowai by-pass. The next hearing on the matter will be held on July 19.
