Nagaland | Rio proposes 2-lane diversion road for Dimapur
DIMAPUR, September 26, 2018: Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio has proposed construction of a two-lane diversion road from Amar Flour Mill point near the inter-State check gate of Nagaland Police to Burma Camp on NH 29 on engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) mode.
Speaking at a review meeting of National Highways and SARDP-NE projects at the State Convention Centre in Shillong on Monday, Rio said existing NH-129 and NH-29 passed through Dimapur city, which was Nagaland's biggest commercial hub, and connected neighbouring Assam districts of Karbi Anglong and Golaghat.
He stressed that diversion was urgently required to ease Dimapur's traffic congestion, besides providing accessibility to buses entering Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT), located 700 metres away from the proposed road diversion, as this would provide direct accessibility to Dimapur-bound passenger vehicles by avoiding the traffic congestion. He also proposed setting up of a tollgate to collect revenue for maintenance of the road and recovery of investment made by MoRTH.
Further, the chief minister urged for declaration of six roads in the State as national highways as these had been accorded "in principle approval". The roads are (i) Showuba-Guzunyu-Pughoboto-Zunheboto-Aghunato-Noklak-Pangsha (200 km), (ii) Trans-Eastern Highway from Mon-Longwa-Pangsha-Kiphire-Avangkhu (280 km), (iii) 2.7-km NH-29 to NH-29 (Dimapur bye-pass), (iv) 167-km Gandhi Ashram-Chuchuyimlang (NH-2) to Pangsha (ITC), (v) Maibong-Tening in Nagaland to Tamenglong via Tamei in Manipur (75 km) and (vi) Ramani Ali Simulguri-Bihubor in Assam to Mon in Nagaland (71 km).
He said detailed project reports (DPRs) of these roads were being prepared by consultants hired by MoRTH, adding that these roads might be notified as national highway before November this year. This would enable the State government to maintain the roads on a regular basis as currently these were not maintained due to resource constraints.
Rio further pressed for approval and sanction of the proposed two-lane Trans-Nagaland Highway (earlier known as Foothill Road) in the financial year 2018-19. The project has been divided into three phases. Survey of the first phase (Amguri to Niuland) covering a stretch of 189 km was completed by a consultant and draft feasibility report (DFR) submitted on July 2 this year.
The consultant for the first phase was empanelled and hired by MoRTH. The first phase alignment of the Trans-Nagaland Highway runs similar to the surveyed DFR. In this regard, Rio conveyed to the Central ministry that the State government approved the proposed alignment on September 21 and notified the land possession as per specification, adding that DPR preparation was in final stage of completion and would be submitted in the first week of November.
The chief minister urged Gadkari for hiring consultants for the remaining two phases of the project (106-km Tizit to Amguri and 79-km Niuland to Athibung) in 2018-19. Regarding paying of compensation, Rio explained that while the State government had committed to provide land free of cost for developing four Special Accelerated Road Development Programme in Northeast (SARDP-NE) roads in the State, which were under execution, it was also decided that National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) would compensate for damage to property assets of the affected owners.
