The Deputy Commissioner of the Kamrup Metro District, Pallav Gopal Jha on Friday came down heavily on PWD (R), Guwahati Jal Board, Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd, Guwahati Smart City Ltd, thus, asking them to immediately stop all kinds of digging works.
This comes after an 11th standard school student lost her life after she fell down while riding a two wheeler vehicle which got stuck in the manhole dugged up for pipe laying by the contractors of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on Thursday. The incident had drawn sharp criticism from all sections of the society.
As per a notification, the district administration has directed the departments to make proper barricading, display of visible signage in the already dug up tranches. Moreover, the concerned departments/agencies are asked to submit the compliance report along with photographs within next 24 hours to the Deputy Commissioner Pallav Gopal Jha without fail for construction/resumption of work.
The district administration is also of the view that several accidents have occurred in recent times causing loss of lives and properties of the public in general due to the unprotected tranches/potholes/open manholes dugged up different agencies in different locations, main roads, bye-lanes etc, of Guwahati city causing immense hardship and inconvenience to the public in general.
“If such tranches are not protected by barricade or repaired immediately, such incidents may continue to occur in near future. With the ensuing rainy season, chances of such incidents have increased manifold causing threat to the lives and properties of the public in general,” the notification reads.
Earlier today, a total of four FIRs have been filed in connection with the tragic road accident in Guwahati's Ganeshguri that claimed the life of an 11th standard girl student on Thursday.
Reportedly, the four FIRs have been filed by eye witnesses of the incident including many others at the Dispur Police Station. The complaint has been filed against many contractors, engineers and government officials.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Guwahati Jal Board, Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC), district administration, AK Constructions, including others has been named in the FIR holding them responsible for the incident.
Meanwhile, the Guwahati Police has arrested the director of AK Construction Company on Friday, hours after a First Information Report (FIR) was filed against him earlier today.
The FIR was lodged by the Guwahati Metropolitan Drinking Water and Sewerage Board against AK Construction Company after noticing discrepancies in work due to negligence to duty.
The AK Construction Company is listed under Borewell Contractors in Guwahati and it is currently working at 12 locations in the city. The Jal board has noticed discrepancies in their works, sources said.
It is alleged that the construction company has not filled the potholes after the completion of work and did not place slab to cover manholes on the required areas.