Vikramaditya
(Pic: KRK Raja Kumarr)
Port Blair, May 17: The announcement of the arrival of the monsoon season has triggered fresh fears for residents of New Pahargaon area, who dread landslides will wreak havoc in the region during torrential rains.
According to reports, the stretch of road from Sapna Threatre, which was closed for traffic after a series of landslides, have developed fresh cracks and residents fear the entire stretch has become vulnerable to landslides during a cloudburst. In case such a mishap hits the region, hundreds of residents of the region will be cut off from the mainstream and the alternate narrow road stretches will become a bane for the residents.
“Despite widespread allegations over tardy renovation works by the APWD in the local media, the lead construction agency has failed miserably to complete the works before monsoon. Fresh cracks have developed on the road at the Sapna Hall Junction and people fear that torrential rains will cause fresh landslides in the region. In all probability, the road will cave in during heavy rains and the motorway from INS Utkrosh will remain the only option for the residents here. Besides diversion of traffic through narrow road stretches will further amplify the risk of accidents and motorists will have a harrowing time,” say some residents of New Pahargaon.
In the month of January last year, a massive chunk of road in New Pahargaon caved in due to the careless earth extraction work leaving huge cracks on the road surface. While the airport authority did nothing to prevent the landslide and continued excavation of earth, another big landslide hit the same region about two months later. The Lt. Governor taking note of the issue asked the Secretary of Civil Aviation to take remedial measures. After inspection of the site, the then Secretary of Civil Aviation ordered temporary closure of the road and instructed the APWD to take necessary repair works.
The APWD executed for the repair works and reopened the road for normal traffic after about 7 seven days. However, the Airport Authority continued to the earth excavation work to fill up the marshy area near INS Utkrosh Office due to which the landslide further wreaked havoc in the region with more landslides. The APWD closed for road for repair works about 90 days ago. However, diversion of traffic through narrow road stretches in New Pahargaon and arrival of the monsoon season spells more trouble for the residents.
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