New Delhi, September
7 Receding floodwaters have prompted the authorities to assess
the extent of damage done by the Kosi and the figures trickling in
suggests it would be long before Bihar’s infrastructure is restored.
The Bihar Roads Department’s interim report has revealed that over
2,000 km of roads have either been completely washed off or badly
damaged and the state will have to cough up about Rs 2,200 crore to
repair them. Approximately, 1,900 km of roads would have to be
re-constructed.
“The damage is extensive and will be properly assessed once the waters
recede. Rough estimates show the cost of repair and restoration could
ride up to Rs 2,200 crore if we take an average of a crore per km of
damaged stretches. A more conservative assessment also shows that a
minimum of Rs 500 crore will be needed for temporary restoration of
roads including the National Highways, state highways and major
district roads,” said Kishore Ranjan Sinha, Engineer in Chief, Bihar
Roads Department.
The report says over 340 km of NH running through the state have
incurred heavy damage. “There have been several breaches. Temporary
restoration alone would cost Rs 109 crore. Repairing the approximately
1,600 km of state roads would cost another Rs 400 crore. We would also
need to build six pontoon and Bailey bridges along state roads and
another four Bailey bridges on NHs. We are inviting experts from
Kolkata to help us with the bridges,” added Sinha.
Supaul, Madhepura, Purnea, Khagaria, Bhagalpur and Araria are the worst
affected districts. NH-106 and NH-107 running through Madhepura along
with NH-107 in Khagaria have incurred heavy damage.
A senior official from the Union Ministry of Road Transport and
Highways said the road situation was grim in the state.
“Almost all highways have been affected by the floods. Thirty
kilometres of NH-57, which is a crucial link along the Indo-Nepal
border between Forbesganj and Purnea, is inundated. Aerial surveys have
been attempted but repair work cannot start as the water is flowing at
considerable velocity,” said the official.
“While floods do happen in Bihar every year, this time it was shocking
because the Kosi, for the first time, changed its course to the eastern
side. We had recently widened an 80-km stretch on NH-57 to four lane,
but now there is considerable damage to approximately 30 km of the
road,” NHAI engineer Vijay Shankar, holding fort at his Araria office,
told The Indian Express.
The ambitious East-West Corridor...
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(Mumbai) Ltd.
