Arunachal: Villagers in Upper Siang raise concern over road construction, seek PWD chief engineer's intervention

Villagers of Peki Modi in Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Siang district have urged the Chief Engineer (Central Zone-B) of the Public Works Department (PWD) to intervene in the ongoing road construction from the PWD road to Peki Modi, citing poor quality, deviation from alignment, and damage to vital infrastructure.

The appeal, spearheaded by the vigilance committee of the All Milang Welfare Society, follows a comprehensive field visit conducted jointly with village elders (gaon buras), Panchayati Raj representatives, and members of the Millang community. The committee expressed strong dissatisfaction over the current execution of the project, claiming that both the department and the executing firm have strayed from the sanctioned route.

In a formal representation, the committee alleged that significant deviations in the road alignment—particularly between Tati and Sipi Korong—have resulted in dangerously steep gradients, making the route unsuitable for vehicular traffic if not corrected. The villagers also raised concerns over repeated complaints made to the Executive Engineer at PWD Mariyang being ignored.

Further aggravating the issue, the villagers highlighted collateral damage caused by the roadwork. They claimed that the Sipi Nallah irrigation canal, constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) in 2022-23, has been damaged over a stretch of nearly one kilometre. The canal was meant to irrigate the agricultural lands of Kurung-Marte, Hala-Roga, and Sigiang-Bayang, and was built with central funds amounting to crores of rupees.

Adding to their grievances, the villagers pointed out that the ongoing construction has disrupted the porter track, which serves as a critical access route for the daily commute of Peki Modi residents. Despite this, no alternative passage has been provided by the executing agency, causing inconvenience and isolation for the local population.

The villagers have requested immediate 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

Proper dumping of construction debris to mitigate environmental impact

In response, officials from the Mariyang PWD division denied allegations of deviation, asserting that the project is being implemented as per 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, local residents insist that corrective measures are essential to safeguard both public infrastructure and community welfare.