Nongpoh-Umden to Sonapur road tender issued

SHILLONG, Dec 3: Nearly six months after a woman staged a hunger strike to protest the poor condition of the Nongpoh-Umden to Sonapur road, the state government has finally invited tenders for the upgradation of the 20-km stretch.
The estimated tender value for the project is Rs 47.50 crore. The scope of work includes road construction, installation of traffic signs and markings, 83 cross-drainage structures, drainage and protection works, and utility shifting. The project is expected to be completed within 24 months of issuing the final work order.
In recent developments, the government granted administrative approval and sanctioned Rs 49.53 crore for the first phase of the project, which covers the Nongpoh to Umden segment. The second phase, spanning 38.6 km from Umden to Sonapur, was sanctioned in October 2024 under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana III, with an allocation of Rs 47.20 crore.
The demand for the road upgrade gained traction after Bindas Syiem, a resident of Ri-Bhoi district, staged a solo indefinite hunger strike that drew widespread support from individuals and various organisations.