SHILLONG, May 19: With the Umiam bridge crossing its lifespan, the state government has directed the Chief Engineer of PWD to inspect the area where an alternative bridge will come up.
Disclosing this to reporters on Thursday, PWD Minister, Prestone Tynsong, who is also the Deputy Chief Minister, said, “We are exploring the alternative bridge. We need to immediately take up this project, upstream or downstream.”
He said he has already asked the Chief Engineer to inspect the area. Once that is done, the issue will be dealt with, he added.
All India Trinamool Congress’ Umroi MLA, George Lyngdoh, who has expressed his concern within and outside the Assembly over the present condition of the Umiam bridge, cautioned that a hairline crack on the bridge might lead to catastrophic consequences. He said it has been subjected to a lot of pressure.
Tynsong virtually attributed the damage to major roads and bridges in the state to specifications that allow vehicles weighing 80-90 tonnes to ply on national highways.
The National Highways Authority of India has also expressed concern over the damage caused to its roads in Meghalaya by overloaded heavy vehicles and rampant hill cutting. Its officials are planning to meet Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma to apprise him of the situation.
The overloaded trucks are responsible for Dwar-Ksuid and Sonapur bridges developing cracks.
Meanwhile, talking about the damage caused to the bridge on the Mawlai Bypass, Tynsong said, “The foundation of the bridge was all fine but due to the heavy rain and the strong current of the water it was damaged. I have given the order to the Chief Engineer to do whatever is needed.”
Refusing to admit any substandard construction, he said the damage was caused by nature.
“We all know that a road’s worst enemy is water – it causes destruction of even well-constructed roads and the damages are huge throughout the state,” he said.
Asked about the time required to complete the repair work, Tynsong said, “The bridge will not remain closed for long but it depends on the weather. Instead of two days it could take one week.”
