AGARTALA, July 3 (TIWN): National Highway 44, usually described as the lifeline of Tripura, was stalled as a patch of 40 mt of the Highway ‘sunk’ or developed depressions due to still-unknown geological reasons, Engineer-in-Chief of the Public Works Department (PWD) Sunil Bhowmik said here today. Speaking to reporters at the civil secretariat, the official said that the depression in the National Highway was found in Lowerpua area in Assam, around 3 Km northward from Churaibari.

 He said that it was learnt that trucks plying from Assam to Tripura carrying loads of cargo and passenger vehicles were stalled on both sides of the depression. Asked about latest development in the situation, Engineer-in-Chief Sunil Bhowmik said he spoke with the Transport Secretary of Assam and officials of the central government about the issue. The Assam Government deployed Chief Engineer and Superintendent of Engineer are reported to be currently camping in the area for emergency disaster measures.

PWD officials from Kumarghat and Dharmanagar rushed to the site on Tripura side today as well. On a different context, Engineer-in-Chief Bhowmik said that the Ministry of Roads and Surface Transport (MoRTH) recently approved two more National Highways for the state. The segment from Kumarghat to Teliamura plying through Kailashahar, Kamalpur, Halahali and Chebri was renamed as National Highway 108 and a segment connecting Jolaibari and Belonia was renamed as National Highway 318, he informed.

The PWD recently took over the Agartala-Churaibari segment in National Highway 44 from the Border Roads Organization (BRO). An annual plan of Rs. 348 crore was sanctioned for double laning of the segment. Rs. 17 crore was sanctioned for maintenance of the 104 Km segment. Rs. 3 crore was sanctioned for preparing DPR for double laning of a 50 Km patch on the NH 44.