“The oldest National Highway (NH), presently AH-1/NH-29, since the British era in Nagaland Kohima has collapsed, causing significant disruptions for commuters and stakeholders,” sounded the Southern Angami Public Organisation (SAPO).

In a statement on Friday, SAPO affirmed that this highway is one of the shortest and most convenient routes to Southeast Asian countries, besides being a vital lifeline for Southern Angami region, neighbouring districts of Nagaland and Manipur state. ”It plays a crucial role in facilitating trade, commerce, and regional connectivity within our state and Manipur and serves as a catalyst of various educational hubs in our area,” SAPO said. A considerable portion of the said NH has been washed away in a massive landslide in the last week of May this year.

On June 3, a joint inspection team led by Deputy Chief Minister TR Zeliang, accompanied by various departmental officials, visited the site and convened a meeting at the Phesama Village Council Hall to deliberate on this pressing issue.

“During the meeting, Dr. Vilhusa Seleyi, Former President of Angami Public Organization (APO), expressed concerns about the subpar performance and workmanship of NHIDCL. Shri Beizo Kuotsu, Chairman Phesama Village Council, assured for full cooperation and logistical support for the highway’s restoration. Er. Tepul Hopovi President (SAPO) raised pertinent questions regarding the quality of work executed from Phesama Gate to Mao, NHIDCL’s quality control measures, and the drainage system’s inadequacies, which likely contributed to the highway’s collapse,” SAPO informed.

It also recalled that Dy. CM Zeliang had then emphasized the importance of NHIDCL listening to and learning from the indigenous people, who possess valuable expertise about the region’s topography. The NHIDCL Executive Director who was also present at the meeting stated to have assured that the NHIDCL would coordinate with stakeholders and restore the highway within 10 days.

Almost 50 days after the NHIDCL officer’s commitment and the assurances given in the presence of the Dy. CM and his officials, SAPO highlighted that the restoration work remains incomplete and the highway untraversable.

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The organisation maintained that the NHIDCL attributes the delay to unstable weather conditions, however, it said the situation reflects a serious breach of trust and a betrayal by NHIDCL towards the government and the citizens.

SAPO mentioned that since the highway is under the direct control of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), Nagaland’s Lok Sabha MP S Supongmeren Jamir demonstrated concern by visiting the landslide area on June 7.

The prolonged disruption, as per SAPO, has caused immense hardship for innocent travellers, with alternative routes deteriorating under heavy loads and inadequate road design. The organisation expressed regret that despite the highway’s strategic importance for the neighbouring Manipur state, the Manipur government has shown indifference to the difficulties faced by its own citizens. “Their apparent apathy is unacceptable,” SAPO said.

“We believe that the citizens of Manipur, along with their government, should jointly escalate this issue to the central government rather than relying solely on Nagaland’s authorities and the civil society,” it added.

Meanwhile, the SAPO underscored that it is imperative that the central government, the state government and NHIDCL recognize the severity of the crisis and take immediate, effective action.

“We urge NHIDCL to allocate optimal resources for the swift restoration of the highway, prioritizing progress over weather related delays. The situation demands urgent attention keeping in mind it’s important to recognize that conducting assessments and activities in mudslide-prone areas during the rainy season can be undertaken safely, provided that appropriate engineering interventions and risk mitigation measures are implemented. These include slope stabilization techniques, proper drainage systems, geotechnical monitoring, and early warning mechanisms, which collectively reduce the likelihood of landslides and ensure operational safety without attributing causality solely to rainfall,” SAPO stated.

Towards this, the organisation urged upon the NHIDCL to immediately proceed with the necessary measures, including barricading the area and restoring the road without delay, to ensure safety and restore connectivity immediately. “Failure to act SAPO further cautioned.