Guwahati: The High Court of Meghalaya has taken strong exception to the condition of the Jowai Bypass, despite the completion of repair works by the state PWD department.
Hearing a PIL filed by activist Kynjaimon Amse, the division bench took note of photographs published in Shillong newspapers which indicate the treacherous condition of the Jowai bypass.
The petitioner also submitted photographs to the court showing that the repaired roads didn’t even last a couple of days.
The bench, headed by Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee said, “While it is appreciated that bitumen is water-soluble and heavy rains may affect the road conditions, yet, all this has happened before the monsoon has set in.”
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It further said, “It can be no excuse, particularly given the heavy rain in this part of the country during the monsoon, that the roads will remain un-motorable during the rainy season. The repair work has to be undertaken keeping in mind the weather and climatic conditions and the extent of rainfall that the road has to endure.”
The High Court bench also directed both the NHAI and the state should report on the progress of the repair work when the matter appears next week.
The next hearing on the matter will be held on June 21.
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