State needs sustainable infrastructure: Kapila

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 28

KK Kapila, Chairman, Geneva-based International Road Federation (IRF) and Co-Chairman, FICCI Transport Infrastructure Committee, has said that sustainable solutions and ecologically proven techniques should be used for making disaster-free infrastructure in Uttarakhand.

Every year during the monsoon, the state grapples with the issues of landslides and road blockades The Char Dham Yatra, which is the backbone of the state economy, especially in the upper parts of the hill state, is obstructed or discontinued every year due to the washing away of roads and bridges.

“It’s high time that sustainable solutions and ecologically proven techniques should be used for building disaster-free infrastructure. It’s also important to switch to apt investigative tools in determining reasons for failure each year. Depending on this, proven technologies that meet specific needs have to be adopted so that the state which has borders with other countries has all weather roads and sustainable infrastructure,” said Kapila in a statement issued here today.

“Although it is a challenging and daunting task to align and build roads in a fragile state like Uttarakhand, especially in the aftermath of the natural disaster, there is a need to use non-destructive and the least invasive techniques to build roads in the state,” said Kapila.

“A quick stopgap approach in rebuilding infrastructure cannot be a solution. Rather re-engineering and building the road infrastructure in a step-by-step method using non-destructive and the least invasive techniques is the need of the hour. We have to sieve out the best of our past experiences and adopt the state-of-the-art non-conventional techniques for sustainability and propose the appropriate solutions,” he added.

Kapila stressed the need for adopting alternative technology while constructing bridges. He said modern emergency bridges were costlier but gave the advantage of two-lane traffic and can withstand heavier loads that match permanent bridges for national highway requirements.

“At about Rs 6 to Rs 7 lakh per metre, including transportation from overseas and construction, these bridges can carry heavier and wider single loads to allow for large construction machinery or equipment and take less space. It is a four-fold advantage at less than twice the cost of a bailey bridge and compares more favourably with a permanent bridge. This cost will come down further with appropriate excise concessions considering its use in emergencies. A farsighted policy in introducing such bridges is required,” he said.