According to state government figures, floodwaters have inflicted damage of over Rs 1,000 crore on 700km of state highways and “major district roads” so far, the government said today as reported by the Telegraph.Ten national highways have suffered extensive damage and six bridges on them have been destroyed.Innumerable rural roads still remain submerged in the 20 flood-hit districts, and hundreds of crores more will be needed to repair them.
Image: Times of India
While the government is trying to restore traffic within 45 days in places where bridges have been damaged, while reconstruction work will begin on war footing after Chhath.”Altogether 203 state highways and major district roads that come under our department have been damaged,” road construction minister Nand Kishore Yadav said.
The most damage to roads has been in Purnea, Katihar, Araria, Kishanganj, East Champaran and West Champaran districts.National Highways 31, 28, 57A and 28A – part of the 3,300km East-West Corridor from Porbandar in Gujarat to Silchar in Assam – have been damaged. Floodwater has washed away approach roads to bridges at six places on NH 31, and the other national highways damaged are 327E, 104, 105, 106, 107 and 28B.
The monetary assessment of the damage does not take into account national highways as they are under the Centre’s purview.
Nand Kishore blamed the ferocious current of the floodwaters this time for the damage. “We managed to repair the damaged places on national highways that are part of the East-West Corridor, which is the lifeline to the Northeast, within 48 hours (after the floodwaters receded) and restore traffic. Other national highways have also been repaired, except three places on NH 327E,” Nand Kishore added.
Help from the army is being taken to restore traffic on the damaged bridges. Army engineers have already assessed the damaged bridge at Bairgachhi in Araria district on NH 327E.
“We have also contacted Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited, Calcutta, a central government unit, for reconstruction of the damaged bridges. A team from it has already reached and is touring the flood-affected areas,” Nand Kishore said.
Principal secretary, road construction, Amrit Lal Meena said bailey bridges – temporary bridges constructed by assembling pre-fabricated steel parts, used mostly in military operations – will be built at six places, including the Bairgachchi bridge.
The department hopes to finish total reconstruction work of roads and bridges by March 2018.