Shillong, Sept 8: Power Minister, Abu Taher Mondal on Friday informed that the MeECL will replace the bearings as part of the proposed retrofitting of the Umiam Bridge.
Talking to reporters, Mondal said that the government is still waiting for the report from IIT Guwahati before going ahead with the proposal of changing the bearings.
“As preliminary reports, the Umiam Bridge is in good condition but bridge bearings needs replacement,” Power Minister said.
Meanwhile, he informed that a joint technical committee comprising of engineers of both MeECL and PWD for this purposed.
According to him, the joint technical committee will submit a report to him after their deliberations.
“If needed I take up this matter to the Cabinet,” Mondal said.
He informed that the general public will be intimidated on the dates when the Umiam bridge will be lifted for changing or replacing the new bearings.
According to the Power Minister, the traffic will be put to a standstill during the exercise and no movement of vehicles will be allowed for a maximum of eight hours.
“Only light vehicles will be allowed to ply through the bridge after the original positioning of the bridge traffic once the new bearings are installed. No heavy vehicle will be allowed to ply during this period,” Mondal said.
He however requested the IIT Guwahati to speed up the process by submitting the report at the earliest so that the joint technical committee can study it and also decide on the next course of action.
It may be mentioned that numerous questions and debates have been taken up relating to the safety of Umiam Bridge. A safety audit of the bridge, commissioned in 1965, has shown that it has surpassed its lifespan.