By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Oct 5: The pitiable condition of national Highway 6, especially the 30-km stretch between Sonapur and Ratacherra, drew a sharp and angry response from the High Court of Meghalaya which slammed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), saying “…it is a shame that the Court has to remind a central body as the NHAI as to what its duties and responsibilities may be…”
Making it crystal clear that no road or highway in the country can ever be allowed to be reduced to the state as is the present stretch of NH-6 from Jowai to Ratacherra, the Court further slammed the local officials of the state for not reporting the matter well in advance to the higher authorities in Shillong for NHAI to be persuaded to ensure that the road was in better condition and not reduced to the pitiable state as evident from the photographs as relied upon by the petitioner.
Kynjaimon Amse, the petitioner in the case, produced photographs from stretches of NH-6 near Mynkre, Tongseng, Sonapyrdi and Lumshnong villages, apparently taken on October 4, 2023, which reveal the abysmal condition of the roads with potholes that are more appropriate to be regarded as craters and with no sign of any blacktopping in the relevant stretches.
“As it is, the terrain in the state is difficult to negotiate and far flung areas wait for supplies and essentials. This supply chain is completely disrupted by the poor conditions of roads, particularly of the nature in the Jowai-Ratacherra stretch of NH-6,” the Court said while hoping that the repair work is completed to make the entire stretch from Jowai to Ratacherra more navigable within the next month or so.
Meanwhile, the NHAI filed a status report dated October 3, 2023 wherein it is indicated that a new contractor has been engaged on September 29, 2023 to undertake repair operations spanning from Sonapur to Ratacherra.
The report also indicated that the existing contractor has been required to undertake repair work from Jowai (km 69.20) to Sonapur (km 141.50).
Details were indicated as to filling the potholes, drain-cleaning in Khliehriat, the repair of damaged pavements and, particularly, attending to the Sonapur tunnel area.
The court perused the report and hoped that the work undertaken will be as good as the report so that the misery of the citizens and the trauma that the vehicles on the relevant stretch of NH-6 go through are alleviated, if not altogether removed.
Some photographs were also appended to the report, indicating the nature of the ongoing repair work.
In addition to NHAI reporting on the work undertaken and completed, the court directed the East Jaintia Hills deputy commissioner to file an independent report as to the status of the relevant stretch of NH-6.
Meanwhile, the Court also directed the state to complete the repair and renovation of the Jowai Bypass within the next four weeks “now that the monsoon is petering out”.