Traffic Restrictions on NH-39 for Shifting Cargo to Numaligarh Refinery

The stretch of the National Highway (NH) 39 from Rangajan to Numaligarh in Assam’s Golaghat district will be closed for vehicular movement on October 10 (Tuesday), reports stated.

As per sources, the stretch of the highway will be closed for at least 8 to 9 hours tomorrow in view of the first 521 Metric Ton hydrotreater reactor which will be brought to the Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) tomorrow.

This was announced by the authorities of the refinery while addressing media persons on Monday. The authorities stated that the over dimensional cargo (ODC) that was brought via waterways and kept at the Numaligarh Refinery jetty will be brought to the Numaligarh refinery. Since the equipment is quite big in size, various traffic regulations have been put in place for the safe shifting of the consignment to the Kalioni River.

Addressing the media the NRL authorities said, “It is a significant day for NRL tomorrow. In connection to the refinery’s expansion, the ODC that was brought via waterways and kept at the Numaligarh Refinery jetty will be brought to the Numaligarh refinery tomorrow. The length of the ODC is around 32 meters and its weighs over 520 tonne and its diameter is 8 meters. The huge equipment will be brought via roadways to the refinery.”

Speaking about the two phases in which the consignment will be transported, the authorities said, “In this regard we have sought the cooperation of the Golaghat district administration and the police. As per our plan, this process will be executed in two phases starting at 5 am tomorrow. In the first phase, the equipment will be first transported to the bridge constructed over the Kalioni River. This process would consume at least six to seven hours.”

“Since the size of the equipment is quite large, the transportation in the highways will be effected. As per the police, all vehicles will be diverted. The vehicles coming from Golaghat or Dimapur will be diverted at Rangajan and diverted towards Dhodar Ali. Traffic regulations will also be imposed at NH-39 in Numaligarh. On the other hand, another stoppage for vehicles will also be set up near Babathan, so that small vehicles can be passed. The large vehicles can pass after the consignment reaches the Kalioni River. We hope that we receive full cooperation from everyone in this assignment,” they added.

Further, the authorities also said that the ODC will be shifted from the Kalioni River to the refinery on Wednesday.

“On Wednesday, we will shift the consignment from the Kalioni River to the refinery. The next day, on October 12, we will erect the consignment. The foundation for the same is kept ready at the refinery,” they said.

Notably, in June this year, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal received the ODC transported via waterways at Numaligarh Refinery jetty.

This is the first consignment transported by Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), nodal agency of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways in charge of inland waterways in the country, for the expansion of NRL. The MoU to transport a total of 24 ODC as well as Over Weight Cargo (OWC) for NRL was signed between IWAI and NRL last year in presence of Union Minister Shri Sarbananda Sonowal last year.

The ODC left Kolkata on March 18 and reached Numaligarh after travelling for nearly three months via Bangladesh. IWAI, in assistance from Dredging Corporation of India (DCI), also employed three dredgers at five locations in Dhansiri since March to make this transportation a success.

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