SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE: Be it the pot holes or the stench from the drainage, Dimapur wallops on bumpy roads which remain dusty in winter and muddy in summer. (Morung Photo)
Longrangty Longchar
Dimapur | March 30
This city is not like any other city in Nagaland, the word ‘cosmopolitan’ defines her. It is a place for everyone – the rich, the poor, the good, the bad and the ugly too. It is also the only city where one feels at home because it belongs to everyone - the local, the non-local, the migrant and the refugee.
But some things never change. The endless traffic jams, piles of garbage, the sea of humanity in the main shopping centres, the pot-holes. Dimapur, the only city in Nagaland to be connected with a railhead and an airport, is also the commercial hub of the State. The district attains significance because this is the place where people from all walks of life converge for better lifestyles.
But in such places, like other metropolitan cities the world over, problems persist. Once touted as a lawless land in the mid-nineties, Dimapur has become a land of opportunity. It has a place for everything. From a burgeoning business community, to a confluence of cultures and communities, it has set its mark on the map.
But there are loopholes. The population of human being and vehicle is increasing. The authorities are still fumbling how to bring about a solution to ease the traffic problem. “Even if the government constructs five or six flyovers, the traffic problem will persist,” says Kima, an auto-rickshaw owner.
A. Imti Longchar comments, “Whatever new vehicles are launched in Delhi or other cities, they can be seen on the streets of Dimapur within days.” No wonder, amidst the sea of yellow capped autos and other vehicles, one can notice expensive SUVs and sedans moving at a snail’s pace.
Interestingly, Dimapur remains one of the places in Nagaland where buying any brand of alcohol is like buying a chocolate candy from a store. The Excise Department has tried to curb the import and sale of alcohol in the state. It has also armed the excise personnel to enable them to perform their duty. These actions have had little or no effect.
“The number of booze joints and hotels selling alcohol has increased. And it is ever increasing. They write ‘Hotel’ on the signboard, but don’t serve anything but alcohol,” says an auto-rickshaw driver while driving around the Supermarket Area.
Lounges and restaurants with dim lights and smartly dressed waiters and waitresses serve alcohol to customers.
A few months ago, newspapers in Nagaland were splashed with reports of raids on hotels and lounges, and about seizure of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL); the health hazards of adulterated liquor remain ignored. Adulterated life goes on.
“It will be impossible to totally ban the sale of alcohol in Nagaland, especially Dimapur,” says Imti, a local scribe. Nonetheless, the tag Nagaland for Christ and Nagaland - Dry State sticks on as does the NLTP Act 1989, as a mockery to both health and leisure.
Unlike the hill areas of Nagaland, there is no shortage or scarcity of water. However, the quality of drinking water is questionable because of its rich iron content drawn from ring wells. Residents have to filter it using the traditional method filtration, pouring the water into a tank filled with sand and stone chips to clear the water of the iron.
And there is the garbage problem. Everywhere there is filth and dirt, and once the monsoon season hits the city, residents will brace for a surge of garbage to be piled up on streets and courtyards as in previous years. The city is ever growing and so are its social, economic and development problems.
