Temporary maintenance work has begun on the damaged NH-415 Package-B stretch between Papu Nallah and Nirjuli in Itanagar, but the Arunachal Pradesh Public Works Department has clarified that the work is not the full reconstruction of the highway.
PWD (Highway) executive engineer Hage Tajang said the current work was limited to interim maintenance on the severely damaged, pothole-ridden corridor. The stretch serves commuters and residents across the Itanagar Capital Complex and has become a daily source of difficulty because of its deteriorated surface.
Tajang said comprehensive reconstruction of NH-415 Package-B would begin after a fresh tendering process is completed. The department has not indicated in the supplied report when the tender will be issued or when reconstruction work will start.
The highway has deteriorated rapidly amid heavy rainfall in the region and the uncontrolled discharge of household and storm water onto the road, according to Tajang. He said water flowing directly onto the highway had eroded the road surface and weakened its subgrade, contributing to the failure of the carriageway.
The PWD official appealed to nearby property owners and members of the public to ensure that proper drainage systems are provided and that water is not allowed to flow directly onto the highway. The appeal places road durability in the context of both construction quality and the management of roadside drainage in a corridor exposed to intense rainfall.
The condition of the road has drawn concern from local residents and organisations, which have warned of peaceful protests if comprehensive repairs are not expedited. The reported hardship is therefore continuing even as interim maintenance gets underway, since the current activity is not intended to provide the lasting structural solution promised through reconstruction.
NH-415 Package-B is the section identified for comprehensive rebuilding once the tendering process is complete. Tajang said he was optimistic that the reconstruction would improve the highway’s structural durability and connectivity along the corridor. Until then, the immediate work remains limited to temporary maintenance between Papu Nallah and Nirjuli.
