Deputy Chief Minister and Minister in-charge of Planning and National Highways, TR Zeliang on Tuesday inspected the site of the landslide-damaged Kohima-Manipur National Highway-2 at Phesama.
Zeliang interacted with officials of National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), Southern Angami Public Organization (SAPO) leaders, and village councils of the area, and urged the NHIDCL to restore the road within 10 days and
The Dy. CM expressed concern that the particular area has been causing frequent hardship to commuters due to repeated sinking. While urging the NHIDCL to employ the best technology to prevent further damage in the future, he emphasized the need to find an alternative route in consultation with landowners to mitigate the inconvenience faced by commuters due to road sinking.
Zeliang acknowledged SAPO, Phesama villagers, and all neighboring villages for extending help to commuters during the calamity. He appealed to the landowners to cooperate with the concerned authorities towards restoring the damaged road at the earliest. Additionally, he appealed to the landowners to readily part with their land for the construction of a good road at the land compensation rate fixed by the government.
Speaking to NT, SAPO president Tepul Hopovi said that after a long and deliberated discussion, the NHIDCL had committed to restoring the damaged road within 10 days. The public leader however remarked that NHIDCL was making a promise which is not practically possible. He said the affected stretch of road had been facing the same problem for the past 10 years and should have been taken seriously by both the state government and the NHIDCL.
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Hopovi maintained that working only during the rainy seasons would not solve the ground issues. “We are not criticizing the NHIDCL, but they should have conducted a thorough study and repaired it scientifically during the dry season instead of playing blame games. After all, they are the experts here,” the SAPO president asserted.
He further stated that it was time for all stakeholders—departments, agencies, or organisations to come together and work collectively. Hopovi also mentioned that even if a temporary road were to be built, it would not last as the damage has extended from the bottom. To this end, he opined that the alternative route should be widened and made usable for the public.
Mention may be made that a massive mudslide caused road subsidence on the said stretch of the highway in Phesama, a few meters away from the exit route of the Naga Heritage Village Kisama, completely destroying the road on June 2. The NH-2 serves as a lifeline to southern Angami villages in Nagaland and to Senapati district of Manipur.
