Our Correspondent
Kohima | August 21
Even as the areas on National Highway-39 near the KMC dumping site continue to sink from an unrelenting late monsoon rains, the Border Roads Organization (BRO) has assured to restore normal vehicular movement within a span of 7-10 days by realigning the stretch of the road.
The landslides at the stretch near the KMC dump have brought movement of heavy vehicles between Dimapur and Kohima almost to a complete halt since the last couple of weeks. This has resulted in rise in prices of essential commodities besides prolonging the hours of travel for commuters.
According to Shailendra Kumar, EE (Civil), the organization had put all available manpower and machinery to repair the road stretch and restore normal traffic. However, all efforts are still being hampered by the incessant rains, he said. Every single day, the BRO has been repairing portions but the road is still going down, he said in exasperation.
Heavy mudslides and sinking, Kumar said, had been constant since August 13 and that some portions of the stretch of highway continue to sink further every day, prompting the BRO to look for alternative alignments. After taking a survey for alignment, the BRO took up the matter with the Nagaland government to procure land for the purpose. For this land was provided by the government, Kumar said. He added that work on the (300-metre) realignment has already started. He expressed optimism that with some respite in the weather conditions, normal vehicular movement would be restored within 7-10 days’ time.
Sinking and landslides of this particular stretch of the National Highway-39 has been a major problem for the past 30 to 40 years. The official attributed the problem to loose soil due to cultivation above the national highway. This persistent landslides and sinking problem, he explained, is caused by accumulated water as a result of cultivation of paddy fields on hill slopes above the highways. He strongly advised that such cultivation be avoided along national highways.
Prices of essential commodities, particularly of perishable food items imported from outside, have shot up in Kohima as goods’ vehicles continue to be stranded on the highway. A comparatively minor mudslide between Kigwema and Phesama has affected vehicular traffic coming from the southern side even as it was reported that normal vehicular movement at the stretch has resumed. It was reported that the mudslides occurred as a result of bulldozing of an alternative route to Naga Heritage Village, Kisama.
