Dimapur, August 27 (MExN): National Highway 61 needs attention from the concerned authority, which starts from TCP Gate Kohima and serves as a lifeline for some Northern Angami areas, Tseminyu Sub Division, Wokha, Mokokchung and Tuensang districts and some other parts of Nagaland.
In a press release issued by Kewachu Semy, faculty head and Dr. Hovithal N Sothu, Associate professor of Disaster Management Cell, ATI, Kohima stated that this highway is being developed in many localities which certainly is noteworthy. However, there are many places that need special attention of the concerned authority, one such area is a land slide zone between the Old and New Tseminyu town which is highly susceptible to landslide and rock-falls as shown in the photograph, making commuters vulnerable.
It stated: “The commuters look up at the hanging rocks and their instinct warns them to move on as quickly as possible, lest they become victims of rock-falls. The picture is only a small section of the risk faced by commuters of this road, and is part of a much larger area stretching for about 200 metres along the highway which has more of such loose hanging rocks waiting to fall.
“The slope above the road is more than 100 feet high at places and is almost vertical. The rocks are highly jointed, sheared and crushed making the formation highly unstable. Rock-falls will cause immeasurable damage to human life and property.”
The note further added that below the highway the terrain is very steep. However, before tragedy strikes it would be most proper to take corrective measures wherever required, so that disasters can be averted. “The question here is who is responsible for the welfare of the travelers along this road? Is it Kohima Administration? Tseminyu Town Council? Executive Engineer Tseminyu? PWD National Highway division? or someone else? Whoever it may be, it would be good to take necessary preventive or mitigation measures before irreversible disaster strikes,” it stated.
It also mentioned that corrective measures that can be taken for this area like: removal of the loose hanging rocks which are only waiting for the slightest movement to roll down the road, reducing slope gradient in the area and wherever possible construction of protective/retaining walls.
