Guwahati: Road projects in the Northeast can often be some of the most challenging missions. A few weeks ago, we highlighted how, two decades after being commissioned, the road widening project in Nagaland remained far from completion. Assam, too, has its share of white elephant projects. As 2022 comes to a close, there was more than one instance when we were reminded that several projects remain far from completion. But why is it that the East-West Corridor, a project meant to connect Barak Valley’s Silchar with Gujarat’s Saurashtra commissioned in the late 90s, remains in limbo?
From landslides to alleged attacks on Assam vehicles by miscreants in Meghalaya over the years, surface communication via National Highway-6, which connects southern Assam’s Barak Valley with Guwahati (via Meghalaya) has faced disruptions because of various reasons.
The Mukroh incident in Meghalaya, in which five civilians were killed by Assam Police, was followed by restrictions related to vehicle movement via Meghalaya. The result? The Barak Valley was again disconnected from the rest of the country. Had there been the East-West corridor, this would not have been an issue. But alas.
And earlier this year, when floods devastated the Dima Hasao district and the Barak Valley, road connectivity remained blocked for weeks, not for Assam but also for Mizoram, Tripura and parts of Manipur.
Thankfully, the Barak Valley or the neighbouring states did not witness any crisis because of available stocks of essential commodities, but the situation might have turned unpleasant if the restriction on vehicular movement on NH-6 continued for a few more days.
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The never-ending project: A brief history
Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee announced the East-West corridor, meant to connect Barak Valley’s Silchar with Gujarat’s Saurashtra, on October 10, 1998.
The 3,300-km road was meant to finish by 2007. The corridor, once completed, will be an alternate connectivity route from Barak Valley to the state capital (Guwahati).
The construction of the East-West corridor has been completed in other parts of the country, barring two stretches: one is the Nirimbanglo-Harangajao stretch (about 49 km) and another one is the Balacherra-Harangajao route (about 25.15 km).
When contacted, S. S. Reddy, project manager of Sushi Infra, the company assigned for part of the project, told EastMojo that around 55 per cent of the construction in the Balacherra-Harangajao route was complete, and the rest of the work will wrap up within the next five months. The road’s construction would finish by April 2023, Reddy said.
“At present, works like construction of the road and bridges are going on. Slope protection work is also being done. The road will be ready by April 2023,” he said.
Sources in the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), which is supervising the work of the Nirimbanglo-Harangajao route, said works like soil testing, earth cutting and setting of camps for workers are being done between Nirimbanglo and Harangajao.
The road construction will start in full swing in December, using Japanese technology. Four kilometres out of the 49 km road from Nirimbanglo to Harangajao will be elevated and 2 km near Nirimbanglo will be built as per a new alignment as the road is a sinking zone.
The road’s alignment will change in another area in New Leikul (Jatinga). Elevated roads will also be made in Boro Mulkoi and Reko (between Jatinga and Harangajao) as these areas are landslide-prone. Rearrangements might be made in their alignments too where needed, the sources in the NHAI said.
The Balacherra-Harangajao stretch, which used to be around 31 km earlier, was reduced to 25.15 km after the route was redesigned in some areas owing to various geomorphic factors. Landslips, especially during the monsoons, and heavy to very heavy rainfall have been the major reasons behind the tardy pace of construction of the two incomplete routes over the years.
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Politicians: Doing what they do best
The decades-long delay in the project cannot be blamed on one political party. The project was inaugurated in the late 90s under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), then United Progressive Alliance (UPA) took over between 2004 and 2014, and then NDA returned to power.
So, the parties are only too smart to deflect the blame. Speaking with EastMojo, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee secretary Sanjeev Roy said the BJP has been using the East-West corridor’s issue to reap political benefits since 2014. “Narendra Modi, during a campaign trail in Barak Valley (before the 2014 Lok Sabha election) had promised that the East-West corridor would be completed if the BJP came to power. Similar assurances were given in the next three elections (two assembly elections in 2016 and 2021 and a general election in 2019) but the project remains incomplete to date. The common masses have been fooled time and again by the BJP, which can promise anything to win elections,” Roy said.
Similarly, Congress minister Ajit Singh blamed the BJP’s “carelessness” for the non-completion of the Mahasadak and claimed the project would have been completed long ago if the BJP government was a bit more proactive in its approach towards the matter. “They (BJP) have no interest/care about the people of Barak Valley. All they know is how to woo voters with false assurances and win elections. What is the reason that the East-West corridor project has not been completed to date?” he questioned.
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Dima Hasao Trinamool Congress Committee convener Aching Zeme claimed the construction of the East-West corridor was moving at a snail’s pace. “Many people go to Guwahati for medical treatment-related purposes whereas Silchar, which has a medical college, is much nearer. People would have gone to Silchar had the road’s work been completed. The government should treat the matter with utmost importance and initiate appropriate steps so that the construction work is wrapped up soon,” he said.
The president of Dimasa Students’ Union, Dima Hasao unit, Pramith Sengyung echoed Zeme saying the construction of the corridor is not going on at a satisfactory pace. “The construction of the road, which is the connectivity lifeline for/in Dima Hasao district, should have been completed years ago. We demand that the road’s work be expedited and completed at the earliest. Besides, maintenance work on the road should be done wherever necessary,” Sengyung said.
Silchar BJP legislator Dipayan Chakraborty said the construction of the East-West corridor is underway and hoped the road’s work would be completed very soon.
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He slammed the Congress for raising questions on the BJP saying the Congress fooled the people of Barak Valley for decades keeping them deprived of development. The valley began witnessing growth and progress after the BJP came to power. “The BJP completed the Broadgauge rail project, which was incomplete for several years during the Congress’ rule the BJP. We will complete the East-West corridor project, too, will be completed very soon,” he added.
Excise and fisheries minister Parimal Suklabaidya, who is the only minister from Barak Valley, said he had inspected the corridor’s construction (from Harangajao to Balacherra) a couple of months ago and told officials of the construction company to expedite the work. “The government is aware of the matter. Hopefully, the project will be completed soon,” he said.
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