Itanagar: Villagers in Peki Modi, Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh, are up in arms, urging the Chief Engineer (Central Zone-B) of the Public Works Department (PWD) to step in and fix the ongoing road construction to their village. They’re alleging poor quality, a significant deviation from the original alignment, and damage to crucial infrastructure.
The alarm was raised by the vigilance committee of the All Milang Welfare Society after a thorough field visit with village elders (gaon buras), Panchayati Raj representatives, and community members. They’re clearly unhappy, claiming both the department and the construction firm have veered off the sanctioned route.
In a formal complaint, the committee highlighted “dangerous” steep gradients due to deviations, especially between Tati and Sipi Korong, making the road potentially unfit for vehicles if not corrected. They also expressed frustration that their repeated complaints to the Executive Engineer at PWD Mariyang have fallen on deaf ears.
To make matters worse, villagers pointed out that the roadwork has damaged the Sipi Nallah irrigation canal for nearly a kilometre. This canal, built under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) in 2022-23 with crores of central funds, was meant to irrigate agricultural lands in Kurung-Marte, Hala-Roga, and Sigiang-Bayang.
Adding to their woes, the construction has disrupted the vital porter track, the daily lifeline for Peki Modi residents. They lament that the executing agency hasn’t bothered to provide an alternative route, leaving the local population inconvenienced and isolated.
The villagers are demanding swift action from the PWD Chief Engineer, including realignment of the road between Tati and Sipi Korong, restoration of the damaged Sipi Nallah canal, construction of an alternate porter track, and proper disposal of construction debris to minimise environmental impact.
However, officials from the Mariyang PWD division have dismissed the allegations of deviation, insisting that the project adheres to the Detailed Project Report (DPR) under the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) mode. A department official stated, “The alignment follows the DPR prepared by the construction agency. Minor damage to the canal may have occurred, but such issues are inevitable in large-scale projects.”
Despite the department’s defence, the local residents are firm that corrective measures are absolutely necessary to protect both public infrastructure and the well-being of their community.
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