Vikramaditya
Port Blair, Aug 20: The new stretch of Andaman Trunk Road from Pathergudda to Ferrargunj has been rated A-One by public but the ATR stretch from Ferragunj to Jirkatang is still in horrible shape, giving nightmares to ATR commuters.
The said road presently has thousands and thousands of potholes enough to cause fatal accidents and cause damage to vehicles. It takes nearly 45 to 50 minutes to cross the 14 KM road stretch, from 45KM to 59 KM of ATR (Ferrargunj to Jirkatang), which otherwise used to take 20 to 25 minutes.
As per rule, the contractor who has bagged the tender for construction of the road, it remains his duty to carryout small and big repairs works, till he begins construction of the road, but in this case it has been noticed that no proper repair work is being carried out by the contractors.
As the repair works were not carried out properly, the said road stretch has become a deathtrap and soon there will be a massive accident in the area, PRI members of the region feels.
Mr. Manoj Kumar Verma, the General Manger Project, NHIDCL had told Andaman Sheekha in February 2019 that construction work for road from Ferrrargunj Junction to Jirkatang ATR Stretch will begin within a month but even after six months, the works for construction of only culverts have begun.
PRI members of Ferrargunj who visited the road on Saturday last are now planning to meet the Chief Secretary with dozens of public and vehicles driver to inform the Chief Secretary about the pathetic condition of the said stretch.
