SHILLONG: The Umiam Dam, a vital link between Meghalaya and the rest of the country, is facing a heavy load with hundreds of trucks plying through it daily after a crack developed on a bridge on the Shillong Bypass, prompting the MeECL to issue an alert.
An MeECL official informed that an order was issued recently that vehicles weighing more than 40 tonnes should not ply on the dam in a row but now that with hundreds of trucks plying over it on a daily basis the situation is serious.
The MeECL has asked the police and the East Khasi Hills district administration to address the issue.
The official also informed that the Homeguard personnel deployed on security duty find it difficult to manage the situation since a very large number of trucks ply through the bridge daily between 9 pm and 6 am.
Another highly-placed MeECL official informed that they had held discussions with the Secretary, PWD, on the need to restrict the movement of heavy vehicles but no decision has been reached yet.
