* Staff, materials, food stopped for one-way traffic causing delay
By A O News Service
ITANAGAR | Jul 18 | Inquisitiveness to know the level of damages caused to water supply pipelines by month-long incessant rains triggered landslides proved to be a herculean task on Tuesday by trudging 9-km through a non-motorable path till Poma river.
Rasap hill, located at 520-feet above mean sea level, is 28-km from here but travelling 15-km by a vehicle till Poma was smooth.
PHED EE Tadar Mangku, JEs K C O Reddy and Tamchi Tassung were waiting to receive as we got down from a tractor around 2 pm but with a shocking news. Contingent labourer Chandan Das had sustained serious injuries earlier with a huge rock after blast falling on his head that broke his helmet and torn off left side eyebrow. He was rushed to RKM Hospital for treatment and given five stitches, Tassung said.
Source road blocked: I inspected the spot to known about the cause of blasting which was mindboggling. Poma river had eroded, washed away many 450-mm diameter pipes, a huge rock flown away from upper side and changed its course that blocked the road 3-km ahead of water source point with a huge rock. The rock is being blasted in phases to clear the passage to carry to the pipes to restore supply, Mangku said.
Eleven 6 to 8-feet holes were dug on the rock and 11 gelatins sticks were pressed inside each for another blast and all were asked to go away beyond 150-metre. As the rock was blasted with a thundering sound, huge portions of broken pieces fell down but small ones flew away like bullets beyond 250-metres. All came closure to watch but another blast shattered the serenity of nature followed by falling and flying of rocks and everyone including myself had to run for life.
PHED blast expert Tadar Kachi, engaged for the job along Mopung-Mekha and Poma river confluence, just little ahead of a steel bailey bridge over Poma river, on inquiry, said such late blasting is common for which the blaster, drillers and rock cleaners always work putting their lives at risk.
About 50 labourers led by both JEs have been living in a make-shift camp against all odds for last one week to end the sufferings of the masses. Conferring any award to all labourers and engineers would not be enough recognition of services they have been rendering with dedication and commitment since 4 am daily. With a desire to cross the block point those who were removing small rocks from top side were asked to stop for a moment. They did stop but begun again without wasting time as the team delayed to cross the point.
Water requirements: Itanagar alone requires 1.1 core liters of water daily for its 1.2 lakh population (2013), but only 70 lakh water is being supplied from water lifting system to feed Chandranagar, RKM Hospital, Division-IV, ESS sector & Civil Secretariat partially, Sector C-I & II, Niti Vihar, Mowb-II, Nyokum Lapang, Raj Bhwan and Donyi-Polo Ashok areas. Interestingly, the water pipes fill with 48 lakh liters in four to five hours on being released from water treatment plant before it flows to the consumers’ tapes, Mangku said.
Naharlagun and Nirjuli need 70 lakh litres daily for its 98 lakh population (2013) but supply has been restored to only TRIHMS, Damsite and Papu Hill, which would improve with restoration of supply from Doni, Dui & Donyi-Polo nallahs soon, he disclosed.
When Capital Complex residents have been running from pillar to post to arrange water for their daily needs, the PHED staff, materials and food stuff regrettably not allowed to move ahead from Papu Nallah because of one-way traffic.
The PHED engineers including staff are on their toes, but inordinate delay is being caused by one-way traffic. A written order given by Naharlagun EAC to allow movement of staff and materials on vehicles even was not honoured. This has been noticed for the first time to prohibit essential services by any order. The suffering of the masses would prolong if such insensitivity prolonged by forcing the PHED labourers to come down from high hills to Papu Nallah to have meals.
What to talk of excluding ambulance, magistrate and police on duty from such on-way traffic order, who bothers for media? But numerous official releases are sent daily for adequate publicity. When President or Prime Minister visits anywhere, the media team is taken ahead, but it seems one-way traffic is more important than media, even when media persons are called for duty by the district authorities. What an irony?
Tanker staff attacked: The masses are equally reflecting their lack of civic sense by attacking the staff supplying water in colonies. Everyone wants that tanker should supply to their homes which is well neigh impossible. With limited tankers, poor fund for fuel and limited staff, PHED has been trying to supply water to end the suffering of the masses. This has caused fear psychosis among the PHED staff, the EE said, adding the masses should realise the ground realities and cooperate for the tankers to carry water to colonies.
Water pipes on way: Huge quantities of water pipes of 300-mm diameter have been ordered and dispatched from Kolkata by trucks for restoring water supply in from Nyorch to Nirjuli via Naharlagun, Mangku said, adding though “We all are on our toes but the collapse of Pachin hanging bridge with which the water pipe line was laid has posed a serious challenge”.
Had the 90-metre bailey bridge over Pachin river, whose foundation was laid down on 02.01.16 by local MLA Techi Kaso been built, the problem would not have arisen. When left hand of the Govt does not know what its right has been doing, as the saying goes, who would know the moves of the longest channel of the world?
However, the arrival of the pipes-laden trucks here is subject to weather condition, road clearance, sudden bandh calls in various parts of Assam, the EE said, adding that the alignment for laying the pipes, installation and pressure sealing with rubber are time consuming process too.
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