The Times of India                17.06.2013

Nagpur Municipal Corporation plans use of new technology for road digging

NAGPUR: In a bid to check subsequent deterioration of dug up roads, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is planning to implement Horizontal Drilling Direction (HDD) - a new technology that will cause less damage to the surface. The NMC is currently implementing the duct policy to allow road digging works.

Open surface digging causes a lot of physical stress to a road, which is not even reinstated properly, and reduces its lifespan. With HDD technology, the entire road does not have to be dug up, instead bores can be drilled in the surface and ducts passed through them.

Recently, the NMC conducted a meeting with officials of National Highways Authority of India, state public works department, Nagpur Improvement Trust, MSEDCL and BSNL to discuss issues pertaining to digging of roads. The meeting was chaired by NMC's superintending engineer Prakash Urade.

It was decided that if laying of cable duct was not possible using HDD method in congested areas, only then open trenching would be allowed. It was also pointed out that if any damage occurs to the underground utilities like electric, telecommunication cable, pipelines etc, the agency carrying out the work will be held responsible for the same and will also restore the damaged utilities.

Urade has invited suggestions from utility companies about fixing rates for using HDD technology. "If the civic body doesn't get any inputs, the old rates will be applicable for cable laying by HDD method," said a source. Under the duct policy, the civic body charges between Rs2,000 and Rs3,500 per RMT for digging small and major roads.

As per NMC guidelines, no company or individual can dig road without the hotmix department's permission. A senior officer from the department pointed out that four different agencies - NMC, NIT, PWD and NHAI - maintain the city roads. But, to dig any road, permission must be sought from NMC's hotmix department.

While granting permission for large-scale digging, the NMC is planning to ask these agencies to use HDD.

A source said that the utility agencies had been resisting the move because they feel that the proposed policy will push up the cost manifold. Whether the firms pay the NMC a digging fee or they themselves relay the road as mandated by a new directive, the amount would be much less than expenditure for HDD procedure. This, the source said, was because the machine needed to use the technology was very expensive.

Currently, in a bid to avoid road cuttings and digging of internal lanes, Orange City Water Limited is using trenchless technology (HDD machines) for laying pipelines. "OCW is using this technology to minimize traffic disruptions and damage to existing utilities. The new method also reduces the danger for community," said OCW spokesperson Sachin Dravekar.

What is HDD technology

* Trenchless technology is used for laying underground pipeline with minimum digging of ground

* Just holes are drilled 100 metres apart

* Pipe is passed through them after horizontal digging

* HDD is better than open surface digging which causes a lot of physical stress to a road

* Moreover, the stretch is not even reinstated properly which eventually reduces the lifespan of the road

* New tech minimizes traffic disruptions and damage to existing utilities

* At present Orange City Water Limited is using trenchless technology (HDD machines) for laying pipelines