Dr. Piketo Achumi
The two popular cities of Nagaland may be undisputedly named Kohima and Dimapur. For many reasons Nagas love these two cities. Their common cities will continue for centuries or till the end of the world. The life style of the Nagas will be mostly influenced and reflected through the living standards of the people of the two cities. They shall have the moral responsibilities to lead and represent the country people to a new and refined Naga Civilization. Marching towards that inevitable social growth and development the importance of Kohima and Dimapur cities requires our imagination. Our thoughts sometimes take us to the days ahead of us and remind ourselves the possibility of future events awaiting the people of the state.
As a state capital the former Naga Hills district headquarters has become more and more popular for traffic congestion. If we imagine Kohima for a few decades from now, we have more prospects to face the heat of traffic jams even more. Adequate measures taken up by the K.M.C. and Urban Development Department will remain constraint by its geo–conditions all around. Therefore suitable measures to keep the cities going in decades to come must be planned by now. Some proposals maybe as below:
1. Town Planning:
a. Kohima: The state capital has more prospects of better development by spreading it out than by concentrating within the inconvenient space of land we have. As a measure against more traffic jams, Kohima require to have more well-planned satellite towns on all sides (North, South, West & East). These model towns must be provided with public utility services like shopping complexes with other adequate amenities such as water supply, power service, good road communications and security arrangements etc.
b. Dimapur: the only potential district of the state to have a dreamland, having even international contextual vision for its development. Plans for development of four-lanes and other major skeletons of the city must start early so as to avoid future embarrassment for development. As of now Dimapur requires the solution for traffic problem. It has become more difficult to manage and this situation if continues may become much more difficult after some years. One may daily observe and see the crowds in between deluxe point and Dhobinullah. People find it difficult even to make way for a fellow passers by .You can also see the parking of vehicles on both sides of the road almost jamming for others to park even one. The new market in Hong-Kong market areas also do not have convenient space to move around. Therefore to mitigate the ongoing congestion of the city bazaar Dimapur can develop another market area as good as the present one if not lookout for a better place to provide business facilities for various national and international communities. Th location of the market should be at least 100 meters away from the main road. We may take one practical measure which will be opening of new market complexes in all directions (North, South, West & East). Another Hong- Kong Market (New Hong Kong market) must come-up so as to ease vehicular movements. In addition to that, Dimapur requires ring-road which will considerably improve traffic services. There can be two ring roads – inner and outer circles. Roughly the inner ring road may encompass the present town of Dimapur. However outer ring road must cover at least from the Dalai or Assam boarders in the west and to the west of Zubza in the north, Patkai Christian College, Chumukedima on the east, Sakpu river in Doyapur town in the south-west should be demarcated for the proposed city of Nagaland
2. Water Resources:
a. Kohima: Citizens of Kohima suffer from water scarcity. The perennial water resources are no more adequate to meet the requirement of the growing population of the state capital. There is no dearth of water resources for supply of water to Kohima city. So far the streams of our mountains are flowing to the great Bharmaputra River instead of meeting the needs of our public in Nagaland. In other words drinking water could be tapped from Dzuku and the streams of Japfü mountains. The second option is by gravity from the two flowing rivers on the East side of the city. The present water sources are available to the VVIPS’ and VIPS’ colonies only. However helpful it may be, we should not depend on the present system of water distribution services by Ph.Ed. trucks to the road side public. Kohima needs more water reservoirs with adequate measure for its treatments. Such steps if taken-up will improve distribution of drinking waters for the public.
b. Dimapur: so far majority of the inhabitants of Dimapur depend on-perennial water resources. However, for some months of the year they become insufficient. Therefore, efficient water supply system is required for the city. Fortunately, it has some flowing rivers coming to it from the mountainous regions of Japfü and Helipong and other adjoining mountains . Zubza, Chathe and Dhansiri rivers could be tapped with water reservoirs as many as maybe required for the city.
3. Transportation: There should be regulations for regular bus services. Introduction of regular bus services may minimize the use of private vehicles. Even Secretaries and Directors may find it more convenient to attend offices by bus. If effective and regular bus services could be enforced in the cities, there could be sale of both current and monthly tickets to the commuters.
4. Power services: without sustainable power services modern society is unthinkable. Therefore, the quantum of power requirement with proper regulatory system has become a pre-requisite subject of the state. Infact power has become another basic requirement for all. To function smoothly the department of power should examine and determine as to how many Mega Watts should be required for Dimapur and Kohima and other districts of the state. Present power failure in the state has created maximum awareness to the leadership of the state. It is therefore hoped that with enough budget provision for the purchase of required machineries will make significant improvement of power services in the state.
5. Health Services: Like Kohima, Dimapur requires the best health care services. The facilities of the present Civil Hospital Dimapur are not at all adequate to meet the needs of large number of patients because patients flock here for treatment generally from all over the state. Therefore, a mega type development of all wards will be required.
6. Road construction in Nagaland: The experts on road development in Nagaland are aware that no amount of expenditure will be enough for maintenance of roads throughout the state. For every rainy season of the year costs the government heavily for landslides, etc. No construction of road in Nagaland is safe without proper drainage system. Therefore, road construction and drainage making should go as two sides of the same coin. Only then, Naga roads may be considered sustainable. Secondly, in many towns of the state, the roads of the town are the only passages for rainwater to flow. Therefore, town roads are badly damaged by rainwater and rendered them unfit for vehicles to ply. If the respective town committees do not take necessary action this problem will continue every year. Thirdly, what is the specified or standard life of a black-topped road? The workmanship of the road matters much. Therefore, there should be some guidelines for our road contractors also. If someone does well, why not give reward and encourage, otherwise some percentage of bills should be released only after the tested time of the works. Dimapur as an emerging strategic city must be developed in the interest of all and not only for the Nagas. Road development requires public cooperation and therefore taking their cooperation, if necessary, there should be legislation in the state in such a way that no development work be blocked by any landowners anywhere within the state. In other words, the state must have the mandatory to remove obstacles for the common welfare. Once the Dimapur-Kohima road becomes four-lanes, they can become twin-city. People can attend offices at Kohima or Dimapur within an hour (Chumukedima to Kohima is just fifty kilometers only). That way there will be a lot of roadside developments for the people around the road. Another equally important four-lanes development should be constructed from Hebron(Jalukie town) to Niuland and beyond. Delay in this development programs may create problems in future as private developments may come to obstruct common welfare programs. Given adequate amenities for the people of all categories, one day Dimapur should emerge as an attractive city in the northeast of India.
7. International Airport: Perhaps for some people it may sound crazy. However, Nagaland has so far no dream of having an International airport. The political significance of the state and its people should be accepted by all without any hesitations. Thanks to our astute forefathers who visualized the needs of protection of our rights and also the Naga leaders who have been working hard to realize it. The dimension of political significance and its historical uniqueness must be responsibly developed to a grandeur realization. Now it is up to the present Naga leadership of all hues to make it. The North-East states of India having a lot of possibilities for national and international trades especially in Agri and Horti sectors, an international airport in Dimapur shall benefit the people of the region. For its development. Hopefully public cooperation will be available within the district. Such significant development in Nagaland will also suit the look-East policy of the Government of India.
8. Dimapur District and Illegal Immigrants: Dimapur deserves special care not only for its physical development but also for avenues to promote peace and communal harmony. This responsibility lies with various social organizations. Local leaders are capable of making any settlement without invoking the intervention of the government. We applaud the DMC and their fraternity for taking up timely move in checking the illegal immigrants however practically speaking when we enquire of their identities all of them are either from Kachar, Karinganj, Silchar, Nowgong, Hojai etc. So far no one identified himself as immigrant from Bangladesh. This way it will be difficult to identify the Bangladeshis. Therefore a new guideline should be followed for their identification. Following the recent ethnic clashes in Assam we have significant increase of non-local population in Dimapur. The present unrest in Assam and Western Myanmar should be the eye opener for the rest of the people of North-East states of India. The Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act 1873, was enforced for the peace and government of the districts inhabited by minority communities. It was the vision of British Indian government of the need of such enactment which is by now over one and a half centuries back. Now it is up to the respective states and their governments to strictly enforce it in the interest of peace and harmony of the inhabitants of the Hill States. This regulation should be known and respected by all non-local inhabitants of Dimapur e.t.c. Otherwise there could be more problems awaiting for your posterities even after some centuries . These rules do not prevent non-Nagas to have their business enterprises within the state. However it will be prudent for the inhabitants of the state to see that we do not create future problems unaware as we find today in Assam and western Myanmar.
9. Developments in Nagaland: If we look back to history of development in the state we can understand what happened in the past. For some decades Nagas were more occupied with lots of activities for sovereign independence than any other development programs. Bridges were blown, road constructions blocked, government buildings burned down, Naga youth joined national service. Havoc of all kinds were there for self defence and realization of Naga sovereign independence. In such chaotic situations the Naga Peoples Convention intervened and subsequently interim government was installed under the leadership of Shri. Shilu Ao as chief minister. The annual budget was just one & half crores only followed by Dr.Hokishe Sema as chief minister with the annual budget of the state went as high as 8 crores that ic; during the early seventies. The latest state annual budget for 2012-13 has reached to Rs1800 Crores. And yet no amount is enough for development of the state. However leaving Kohima and Dimapur as special category for developments it will be fair to follow a model for the rest of the districts and sub-divisions in the state. Maintenance of basic needs like water supply, power service and road links should be made uniform to all districts and should have special care of the departments. There should be no push and pull for the basic requirements of the general public. When development goes on even basis there would be no undeveloped pockets in the state and we can smile when all are OK.
(The writer is Principal of Asian College, Sovima Dimapur)
