By: N.N. Baruah , BE (Civil), MICA
Retd Superintending Engineer, PWD, Assam
(Presently a consultant in CES (I)
Pvt Ltd for Pkg No EW/7(AS) of
NHDP East West Corridor Project)

Introduction
This note is an attempt to give a picture of the development of road network in India and focus on the shape of things to come in the first decade of the new millenium both in Highway and Road Sector. Care is taken to project a representative picture by tapping various sources, to give a fair idea of how our Government has initiated and installed reforms to bring about modernization in the largest infrastructure project.

Road Infrastructure in India

The road network in India presently comprises 58,112 km of NHs, 1,28,000 kms of SHs, 4,70,000 kms of MDR and 26,50,000 kms of ODR & VR totaling to nearly 33 lakh Kms. The length was only 4 lakh kms in 1950-51, which has increased 8-fold by now, but the number of goods vehicle fleet has increased 22-fold in the corresponding period.

The roads carry 80% passenger and 60% freight traffic whilst the Railways carry 20% passenger and 40% freight. Growth of road network is not commensurate with the demand to meet the transportation needs.

The National Highways run through the length and breadth of the country connecting ports, state capitals, industrial and tourist centres and neighbouring countries and constitute less than 2% of the total road network, but carry nearly 45% of the total road traffic.

Expansion of the road network has been mainly by building rural roads to provide connectivity to rural areas. But, 50% of inhabitations are still to be connected with all-weather roads. The NHs expanded only 1.55 times and SHs have more than doubled in length from 1951 to 1997. Out of 33 lakhs kms of roads, in India, only 50% are surfaced of which some 20% are in good condition. Only 2% of their length are four-lane, 34% two-lane, and 64% single lane. As far as NHs is concerned, only 5% of their length is four-lane, 80% two-lane and the balance 15% continue to be single lane. The deficiencies inherent in the road network are causing huge economic losses due to slow transportation and also contributing to high rate of road accidents.

In general, our country lags far behind the advanced countries in developing its road network even after 55 years of independence . For example, India has a road length of 2.4km per thousand persons, and road density of about 70km per square km of land. These figures are one-tenth and one-third of similar indices for developed countries.

ASSAM SCENARIO

Assam has a rich heritage in road construction activity. The importance of a good road network as a basic infrastructure for all round development was felt even during the pre-British period and a number of good roads were constructed covering the length and breadth of the State like Gohain-Kamalar Ali, 560 km long built in the year 1546-47 A.D. connecting Koch Bihar with North Lakhimpur, and Bar Ali connecting various parts of Sibsagar with Nagaland around the year 1545 A.D. In 17th century important communication network was formed by constructing a number of historically important roads like Dhodar Ali (212 km long), The bridge across river Namdang, a stone masonry arch bridge 27.65 m long 7 m wide constructed in 1703 A.D. on Bar ali, presently forming a part of N.H. 37 has proved to be a long lived vehicular bridge in this region and a monumental one by withstanding all the vagaries of nature and depredations by its mighty users over centuries. Significantly it has still been taking all kinds of vehicular traffic plying on NH 37
In regard to the magnitude and importance of the remains of earlier roads in lower Assam, Captain Pollock an Executive Engineer of the British regime wrote:
" In no district in India do I believe more cris-roads exist than Kamrup; but they have been allowed to go to ruin…… The more I travel over the district, more remains of road do I discover, and it is a marvel to me….. how these roads were constructed and who had the energy to undertake them. In the district of Sibsagar, there existed numerous old roads of immense extent locally termed allees, which have been allowed to fall out of repair and to become covered with jungles".

The famous Assam Trunk road and North Trunk road as a main arterial road covering the length and breadth of the State was started in 1866 and completed by the turn of that century. These roads have since been upgraded to NH.

In fact improvement in road construction in Assam commenced in semblance of the present age since the establishment of a regular Public Works Department in the year 1868 and creation of Local Board in 1880.

During the early part of 20th century there had been 5915 miles of road fit for vehicular traffic and 2,283 miles of bridle-paths (Gait's History of Assam - page 398) As per H.K. Borpujari's "Comprehensive History of Assam", in 1911-12 out of 3559 miles of road, only 375 miles were metalled. The road length at the time of gaining independence was 6282 kms of which only 1447 kms were single lane black-topped and the rest being graveled and earthen.

Though constitution of Jayakar Committee in 1927 and establishment of Indian Road Congress in 1934 were marked as the important events in the history of road planning, road building and maintenance in India and Assam as well, the real booster to improving the country's road network came to a perceptible standard only after formulation of Road Development Plan on uniform pattern under Nagpur Plan in 1943, introduction of first Five Year Plan in 1951 and Bombay Plan (1961-1981) and Luknow Plan (1981-2001).

Bombay Plan (1961-1981):
The overall objectives of this 20 year Road Development plan (1961-1981) was to increase the road density to 52 miles per 100 square miles of area and to bring every village in a developed and agricultural area within 4 miles of a metalled road and within 1.5 miles of any road/in a semi developed area within 8 miles of a metalled road and 3 miles of any road and/ in undeveloped and uncultivable area within 12 miles of a metalled road and 5 miles of any road.. Road density of 40 kms per 100 square kms was achieved which was far below the planned target of Bombay Plan. In village connectivity , the achievement was 12768 nos of villages out of total 22005 nos in the state which accounted for a percentage connectivity of 58%

Luknow Plan (1981-2001) :
It covers 6th, 7th ,8th & 9th Plan periods During 6th Plan, following the objectives of Bombay plan, target was fixed for connecting all villages with population 1500 and above and 50% of villages with population between 1000-1500 by year 1990 and onwards.
The Master Plan envisaged : (a) Improvement to existing Structures (b) Up-gradation and (c) New Construction
Against the new construction , Physical target was made for constructing 32,859 kms in ODR & VR category in order that the 91% of our rural population of whom 70% live on agriculture & who are the backbone of our agricultural economy are brought to the mainstream of the country's developmental network by providing with a road system that can render facilities to them for marketing, health, education and other social activities.
The target was not achieved, the backwardness of Assam in respect of road communication as a whole still continues, because whatever road network we have developed is only a linear development and not without the deficiencies like missing links, substandard geometric, weak pavement, inadequate pavement width, weak and semi-permanent bridges, low sub-grade strength and submersible stretches. Though the low turnout in this State is generally attributed to the complexities in terrain configuration and shorter duration of working season because of longer monsoon, the main reason is the resources constraint and poor fund allocations in all the Five year Plans.

Present Road Network in Assam

The present road network of Assam comprises:
2816 kms of NH
2112 kms of S.H,
6348 kms of M.D.R. and
25042 kms of O.D.R & V.R.
The total road length is around 36318 kms. of which only 28% are surfaced, 90% of which are also in a very bad state of repairs. Taking the area of Assam as 78523 square kms, the road density may be around 50 kms per 100 square kms which is far below the planned target and national average of 73.The roads are not evenly distributed across the State, either in terms of location, density or per head of population. The development assumes almost similar pattern generally applicable to our country.

National Highways Network in Assam:
Since enactment of National Highway Act, 1956 the lengths of various National Highways in Assam till date are as follows:

Deficiencies in NHs in Assam
Out of the 2816 kms of NHs in Assam 1086 kms are single lane, 66 kms intermediate lane and 1714 kms are double lane. Riding quality is mostly bad, the serviceability index being very poor. Deficiencies are explicit in the following forms:
- Inadequate road capacity needing widenning
- Insufficient pavement thickness needinng properly designed pavement.
- Poor riding quality needing partial sttrengthening
- Weak timber bridges needing RCC bridgees
- Congested city sections needing bypassses
- Railway level crossings needing RoBs.<
- Substandard curves needing realignmentt
- Submergible stretches needing raising<
- Poor surface drainage facilities
   in built-up areas needing peripheral drains.
- Stage constructions, needing-immediatee construction of the final layer of designed bituminous course.
- Low or no sub-grade sections needing rreconstruction to design requirement

Changing Trend
Despite the undeniable need for expansion/improvement, till recent past the Highway/Road sector in India remained virtually neglected. There was no political will for expansion of the Road network. Moreover the structures built were not constructed to requisite quality standard on the unavoidable plea of fund crunch. Even in National Highways, stage construction was resorted to, leaving construction of the designed bituminous courses to the final stage later. The deficient structures were yielding to the ever-increasing traffic load, but the maintenance needs could not be fulfilled. The riding quality deteriorated progressively with passage of time making the journeys most hazardous, costly and time consuming.

Happily, the trend has now been changing. Our country has embarked upon a new era in development of roads and highways. It is fully realized that the rail communication system is grossly inadequate and the roads have to play an important role not only as a supplementary system, but also as a parallel means to fulfil the transportation needs. Therefore, the trend is now to shift transportation mode from Railways to the Road sector by enhancing the road capacity both quantitatively and qualitatively. This is a happy sign of recognizing truly the Roads/Highways as a major infrastructure sector essential for development of all other sectors of economy and integrated development of the country.

Turning point in this sector has been brought about by our beloved Prime Minister by launching 2(two) highly ambitious "Dream Projects" : One for NHs and other for Rural Roads: to be executed in the first decade of the new millenium.
For NHs the National Highway Development Project (NHDP) was launched in February,1998 by amending the National Highway Authority Act, 1988 and reactivating the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) for its implementation.

For Rural Roads, Pradhan Mantry Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) was launched on 25th December,2000 to be implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development (MORD). as a 100% centrally sponsored scheme through the nodal and executing agencies of the State Governments.

NHDP being implemented by NHAI

This project comprises:-
+ + Golden Quadrilateral that would link the four metropolitan cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, ( 5851 kms)
+ + North-South corridor that would link Kashmir and Kanyakumari including Koshi-Salem Spur (3874 kms)
+ + East-West corridor that will link Silchar in Assam to Porbandar in Saurashtra (3460 kms)

Other Projects under NHAI are as follows:
++ Port Connectivity to Major Ports ( Haldia, Paradip, Vishakapatnam, Chennai, Tuticorin, Mangalore, Mormugoa, Jawahar Lal Nehru Trust & Kandia) involving 400 kms of roads ,
&
+ + Another 600 kms of Road Development.

The road length with NHAI currently is around 14,400 km. Likely expenditure at year 2000 level of prices may be around Rs 64,000 crores. The National Highways under this project will be developed to 4/6 lanes divided carriage-ways with service roads where necessary, better riding surface, better road, grade separators, over-bridges, underpasses, bypasses etc.

Scenario of NHDP in Assam

Length proposed to be implemented in Assam under East west Corridor Project is 753 kms, comprising:-
NH 31(C) from Rakhaldubi to Srirampur
Part of NH 31 from Rakhaldubi to Jalukbari,
Part of NH 37 from Jalukbari to Nagaon,
Part of NH 36 from Nagaon to Doboka
and
Part of NH 54 from Doboka to Silchar

The ambitious E/W corridor Project has made a beginning in Assam in June,2000. Widening of 18 kms of Guwahati Bypass to 4-laning with service roads on either side under sanctioned Pkg No EW/7(AS) & EW/14(AS) have been allotted to two contracting farms. . Thereupon, a new era of Highway development to international standard, has dawned in Assam too. The implementation of NHDP in Assam is still not gaining speed. The next phases to be undertaken from the current year and onward for completion of the whole project by the year 2007 are  :

4- Laning of NHs from :
(1) Amingaon to Nalbari of NH31
(2) Nalbari to Rakhaldubi of NH 31
(3) Rakhaldubi- Srirampur of NH 31C
(4) Guwahati to Nagaon of NH37
(5) Nagaon to Doboka of NH 36
(6) Doboka to Silchar of NH 54
(7) Expansion of  Saraighat Bridge

We can reasonably hope for a bright future in Assam also when the E/W Corridor project from Srirampur to Silchar  is completed by the year 2007.

Time is of essence of the contracts. Innovative measures contemplated for adhering to the time schedule are:- Prompt decision making, monthly payments to the contractors / suppliers, interest on blocked capital in case of delayed payments, declaration of bonus for completion before contract completion time and penalty for delays, use of state of art equipment etc.

The following more measures are in application:-
+ A separate ordinance for land acquisition has been promulgated for national highways. The ordinance provides that once the Government declares that the land is required for the purpose of development of National Highways, it would deem to have been vested in the Central Government. Only compensation can be settled through arbitration.

         + Projects for widening of the existing National Highways have been exempted from environmental and forest clearances.

         Some other administrative processes coming in the way of speedy
         implementation have also been simplified.

Assuring quality standard:
(a) The redeeming features in the NHDP are that, unlike in the past, the highway structures under the NHDP shall be constructed to design requirement of international standard with particular care for quality assurance for attainment of high level of performance and durability to compete with any developed countries and lead the country to the path of "dignity and self-reliance."

(b) To arrive at the desired quality standard, there is a modal shift from labour intensive technology to equipment intensive technology. The contractors have been provided with interest free advances enabling them to procure highly sophisticated state-of-art plants and equipment from abroad with facility of almost duty free import for certain categories to enhance their capability Such plants will not only ensure quality product and speedy execution for timely completion but also the age-old labour intensive procedures are given a good- bye, yielding place for the new approaches and technologies. It is really a healthy trend.

(c) The modal for quality assurance is taken from IRC: SP: 57-2000 (Guidelines for Quality Systems for Roads), IRC:SP47-1998 ( Guide lines on Quality Systems for Road Bridges, which are again based on ISO 9000 series universally accepted by about 200 countries in addition to full application of the quality control practices in the field as per MOST Specification for Roads and Bridges and IRC SP: 11 "Hand Book of Quality Control for Construction of Roads and Highways .

The most important requirement for QA as outlined in S.P:57:2000 are:
(i) Organizational structure for owner, (ii) Quality Assurance organization for owner and consultant and (iii) QA organization for Contractor
The main activities that effect the quality of a road, as outlined in IRC:SP-57-2000 are:
A. Project Preparation (Data collection, selection of suitable options, project document)
B. Design & drawings
C. Preparation of contract documents
D. Organization and management of suppliers /contractors
E. Material procurement
F. Production of items and sub-items of construction (like concrete, asphalt, emulsion etc.)
G. Management and Organization Owner/Consultant

Based on the above concept essential for quality assurance, the measures take a start with the project preparation itself followed by contract allotment and contract supervision upto completion.
Procuring of consultants for Detailed Project Report (DPR) is mostly on quality and cost based selection / quality based selection and sometimes on single source selection ( if situation demanded) considering their backgrounds, experience in similar works, approach & methodology work program, manning schedule, bio-data of key personnel and comments on the TOR in the bid document and associated arrangements.
Procuring contractors for civil works is on the basis of the pre-qualification documents which is accomplished by evaluating their past performance, financial capability, average annual turnover, personnel organization, plant, equipment and other resources, experiences in similar works, track records such as timely completion & litigation, bid capacity etc. Only substantially responsive bids are considered for acceptance.. The contractor's quality policy, quality and experience of technical work- force, deployment of trained supervisors/ workmen in adequate strength, capability of mobilizing adequate resources including suitable plant and equipment, expertise in planning, review and corrective action., capability of adequate financial input including cash flow and fund management and engaging of pre-qualified subcontractors / suppliers etc are some criteria while pre-qualifying a contractor. Entertaining a contractor without proper verification of antecedents may be disastrous.

The type of tender has a great bearing on ascertaining smooth execution and quality assurance. Generally this is in conformity with that of Federation Internationale Des Ingenieurs Conseils (FIDIC) conditions which are accepted internationally; for Private Sector Funded Projects on the basis of model concession agreements and for externally funded projects on the basis of standard formats approved by the funding agencies like World Bank, ADB etc. It is recognized that It is appreciated Entertaining an improperly drafted contract document is likely to create avoidable problems leading to delay in execution, disputes, and arbitration.

Some advanced methodologies are envisaged for future  management
of the NH system  which are :

(a) Corridor Management.
This is likely to cover not only the maintenance of highway structure, pavement riding quality, but also land and traffic management, access control, prevention of encroachments, control of ribbon development etc. Recognising the need for a uniform legal code to effectively deal with the building development along most of our highways and to secure maximum efficiency in the road use, the Govt of India has drafted a Model Highway Bill dealing with various aspects of roadside development such as prevention of ribbon development, control of access removal of encroachments, control of roadside land-use, control of advertisements etc. (The Modal Highway Bill is annexed in IRC special Publication 15)

(b) Computerized maintenance management system.
This is for enabling to predict and prioritise maintenance requirements, after analysing the condition status of roads and bridges through the results of detailed condition surveys and previously developed deterioration models.

(c) Pavement Management System (PMS) and Bridge Management System (BMS).
These will later be amalgamated into a single Total Highway Management System (THMS)

(d) Use of modern highway design and planning and project preparation techniques, remote sensing, computer aided design.

(e) Use of GIS and mapping tools to define and analyse urban areas and infrastructure in the design phase of a new projects

(f) Modernization of the road transport industry by switching over to large-scale mechanised construction, so as to develop self-sufficiency in the production of bitumen and cement.

(g) Use of Geographical Information System (GIS) based monitoring systems to be conducted via Internet during and after construction:.

All these are  the healthy trends in  our country  towards becoming an equal partner with other developed countries in respect of   development of roads/highways and their maintenance.

Some musings on the E/W Corridor Project in Assam:
A major chunk of the North-East region from Nagaon to Lekhapani (Ledo) via Makum (comprising NH37 & NH38) has been left out of NHDP East-West Corridor Project. This portion is a major traffic corridor of the North Eastern States passing through heavy industrial belts comprising tea, oil, coal and plywood. Assam is a gateway to South East Asia and a strategic base for commercial activities and potential State for export business with China and other South Asian countries through famous Stilwell Road. The Stilwell  road was constructed in the second world war, from Ledo in Assam to Kunming in China via Myanmar, but remained closed for the last 50 years. In a conference held on 14th to 17th August, 1999 it was decided by the representatives of China, India, Bangladesh and Myanmar to open up this road for international trade and on 3rd of October,1999, Stilwell Park was inaugurated at Lekhapani to open up border trade with India.
It is heartening to note that "Construction of Bridge over River Brahmaputra at Bogibil down stream of Dibrugar" has since been flagged off this year.  There is also a proposal for expansion of Saraighat Bridge over mighty river Brahmaputra near Guwahati under E/W corridor Project . These measures would definitely go a long way in removing the communication bottlenecks of the North-East.

But, it is to be realised  by the Government that extension of the East West Corridor as a Spur Project upto Lekhapani and beyond in a phased manner connecting with famous Stilwell Road shall only actualize in true sense the dream of constructing a vast infrastructure of road network though-out the length and breadth of the country to arrive at the much publicized goal of integrated development.

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