Road constructed using ‘German technology’ wears off

TURA: A Garo organisation is moving an application under the Right To Information (RTI) Act for details pertaining to a road project where the ‘famed’ German technology was claimed to have been used in its construction.
Less than six months after completion of the Mendipathar-Resubelpara road in North Garo Hills, wear and tear is showing with the tarmac having been stripped and potholes reportedly surfacing.
“We are filing an RTI to find out whether the road construction was taken up as per the Detailed Project Report because how can a newly laid road become damaged so soon,” said director of the A’chik Indigenous Justice Initiative Forum, Alex K Sangma.
The firm CCL Infrastructure, which was reportedly granted the contract, has been accused by the AIJIF of using substandard materials and poor engineering while laying the road despite spending crores of public fund.
The quality of the construction work began to be questioned after the company began repair work on several stretches of the newly laid road barely a few months ago.
“Cement and stone chips were rolled over some of damaged sections as part of repair work, unsuccessfully. Our question is as to why repairs are required on a new road,” queried the AIJIF.
It has further accused the construction firm of delaying several other road projects in the Garo Hills, particularly the South Garo Hills road for which it was allegedly pulled up by the district administration.
A similar situation arose over the affected Mendipathar-Resubelpara road construction which allegedly took three years to complete, in place of six months, despite repeated reminders to the firm by the district administration.
“First the project was delayed, then it was poorly constructed and now even the repair works are substandard. We will not hesitate to file a case against the company,” the group stated.