NH to be repaired!
- There is no proper pavement designs, regular periodical inspection, follow up for the inspection recommendations and proper maintenance of National Highway
- Unfortunately in J&K, NHAI construct and forget our infrastructural assets, they build roads and remember them only when they reach in extremely bad condition
- Engineering departments and govt administration handling construction and maintenance of Road has a general tendency to build pavements and forget these
JJ CORRESPONDENT
Jammu, Dec 5: The traffic on all national highways is likely to increase enormously in the future. To meet the demand optimally and thereby to ensure rapid economic progress of J&K, it is essential to develop and establish an efficient highway planning and management system. Effort is also required to integrate various systems related to highway management in J&K carried out in India and in other countries. In this regard, Gujarat-based company has been given Rs 16 crores contract for 24 months by National Highway Authority of India from Lakhanpur to Jammu. Right from Lakhanpur, which is also known as the gateway to the J&K State, there is literally a mess on the Highway. Recognizing the imminent threat of global warming and rapid climate change, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had promulgated green highways (plantation, beautification and maintenance) policy. “Planting trees along the highways is very important. It will help in reducing air pollution and dust. It will also provide shade on glaring hot roads during summer and it will reduce the effects of wind and incoming UV radiations. But nothing of that sort is visible on highway with breakage of footpath at various places, heaps of rubbish lying and there, no white and black paint on dividers and many other deficiencies. There is no proper pavement designs, regular periodical inspection, follow up for the inspection recommendations and proper maintenance of drainage system which are of utmost importance in preserving the investment made on construction of highways. For regular highways maintenance and repair sharp ditches and steep slopes require manual maintenance as compare to cheap repair of flatter ditch and soil by machine. Unfortunately in J&K, NHAI construct and forget our infrastructural assets. This truth is also applicable to our roads. They build roads and remember them only when they reach in extremely bad condition. The pavement management system and the systematic approach contained in this is not adequately implemented for repairs and rehabilitation. Non compliance result into heavy losses, discomfort, Mechanical damages in vehicles and loss of man hours. In many cases the high speed corridor pavements have failed prematurely in the absence of adequate maintenance during the design life itself. Engineering departments and the government administration handling construction and maintenance of Road in has a general tendency to build pavements and forget these despite advances have been made in recent years in the development and use of quick setting and rapid hardening materials for use in repair and rehabilitation concrete pavements. In the past seven years Government of India has taken up development of this important infrastructure on priority basis in a big way and the national road network has improved a lot when compared to the situation a decade ago. The network of existing highways and expressways is now showing signs of premature failure due to cumulative effect of inadequate maintenance and structural inadequacies to cater the need of increased traffic volume and heavy axle loads. In many situations lack of proper drainage is the principal cause for the failure of the highway pavement structure. The maintenance funds for highways allotted by the central and state governments but poor monitoring making task of preserving and maintaining highway assets is becoming increasingly complex and difficult.
The life of an infrastructural asset can be preserved and its life can be prolonged if adequate repair and maintenance is undertaken at proper time on regular basis. Highways have occupied an exalted place in central government spending on infrastructure ever since the first NDA government. Developing a national highway network is no doubt the responsibility of the state. However there is more to public infrastructure than just highways and expressways. The unattractive revenue from toll has pushed the government in recent times to resort to forms of engagement with private corporations where the revenues of the private partner are independent of toll collected. The contract model is once again in vogue. The government is also pushing various “annuity” models where the infrastructure companies cover the investment requirements fully or with government participation, build and operate a highway and receive an agreed amount as annual income. In this arrangement, the government collects the toll and bears the traffic risk. NHAI should ask its officials to ensure that all tolled stretches across J&K are maintained properly. Toll charges should be halved in case of poor maintenance. NHAI must advise its NHAI must tell highway operators that people pay toll for good service and have a right to get relief if the service is deficient.
