‘90% of work of Umiam-Jorabat four-lane expressway completed’
SHILLONG: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee is conducting a study on the perennial problem of landslide along the Guwahat-Shillong road.
Several people have lost their lives on this road due to landslides in the last few years.
Speaking to The Shillong Times on Sunday, the Assistant Vice-President of Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited (IL&FS) Aalok Anandmani informed that the IIT in its report would suggest various measures to be taken to stop landslides along the road.
However, the initial report indicates that the slopes need to be flatten to avoid landslides and for this Government may have to acquire some more land, he said.
Reacting to a query, he stated that the implementing agency is taking temporary measures like constructing retaining walls to avoid landslides as the rainy season is approaching.
Meanwhile, he said that ninety percent of work along the Umiam-Jorabat four lane expressway has been completed.
However, the stretch of Umsning Bypass would be completed in June 2016.
“We got the land on February 5 and the work has started along the Umsning Bypass,” he said.
The project was scheduled to be completed in March last year but the various hurdles such as land acquisition problems, agitations and change of the implementing agencies somehow delayed the project.
The 62-km four-laning of NH 40 (Umiam to Jorabat) has been taken up by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) as the implementing agency with an estimated budget of Rs 536 crore.