Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA) advisor MLA Z Nyusietho Nyuthe convened an emergency meeting with all the line departments on September 15 at the NSDMA Conference Hall, Nagaland Civil Secretariat Kohima, to discuss the severe damage to roads and other infrastructures caused by extreme weather events across the state.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the Public Works Department (Roads and Bridges), PWD (National Highways), Water Resources, Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), Commissioner Nagaland, District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMA), and NHIDCL.
Advisor Nyusietho Nyuthe chairing the meeting highlighted the various disaster incident reports and action taken reports regarding the severe damage on roads and infrastructure across the state caused by extreme weather events in Nagaland. Reports from districts including Chümoukedima, Meluri, Kiphire, Noklak, Dimapur, Shamator, Mokokchung, Kohima and Peren were discussed, detailing landslides, flooding, infrastructure damage and damage to roads.
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Nyuthe emphasised the need for swift action to restore road connections in landslide-affected areas and additional machinery to be assigned in disaster-prone areas. The advisor also urged for continued coordination among line departments and monitoring of water levels in vulnerable areas like the Chathe and Dhansiri rivers. He also called on the line departments and NHIDCL to enhance infrastructure resilience and sustainable construction solutions tailored to Nagaland’s hilly terrain emphasising disaster resilience to withstand extreme weather conditions.
Joint CEO NSDMA Johnny Ruangmei during the meeting requested the concerned DCs of Chümoukedima and Peren to concentrate on maintaining the roads between Sukhovi – Mhainamtsi, a critical alternative route due to heavy mudslides and landslides in multiple locations on NH-29. Rongmei further requested the concerned authorities to allocate maximum resources to repair and maintain this critical road stretch to ensure smooth flow for heavy vehicle traffic. He added that stationing machinery on standby will help to manage traffic flow, reducing congestion and facilitating smoother movement.
He also urged the field officers, executive engineers, and SDOs from PWD to inspect the road and identify areas requiring immediate attention, specifying necessary resources for repairs in disaster-affected areas.
The District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMA) through Video Conference highlighted the real-time damages of roads and infrastructures and updated the progress of restoration work and also the immediate requirement for relief and support in their respective districts.
