Repairing road not only for the sake of the truckers but also for other motorists as well, asserts MDTOA
Our Correspondent
Mokokchung | July 29
In what can be termed as a frantic measure over the pathetic Mariani-Mokokchung road condition, the Mokokchung District Trucks Owners’ Association (MDTOA) today started a two-day road repairing initiative at different stretches along the National Highway 702-D, considered as the economic lifeline of Mokokchung district and her neighboring districts.
The condition of this National Highway (earlier it was looked after by the Border Roads Organization) has been deteriorating with each passing year; and bringing nightmarish experience for the drivers every monsoon - especially the truckers – and passengers alike. Citizens of Mokokchung and her sister district including Tuensang and Zunheboto depend on this road since it is their main communication source.
Friday’s initiative by the MDTOA, was participated by more than fifty Mokokchung district truck owners, and was supported by the Village Councils of Chungtia and Khensa, informed a MDTOA member. He disclosed that the more than fifty villagers from Chungtia village also volunteered as man-power for the work.
Besides, the MDTOA also hired twenty skilled (non-local) labourers to lay the stones in the worst hit stretch of roads. Earlier, the three villages of Aliba, Chungtia and Khensa also repaired the road from their own means. Even Changki villagers repaired the road falling under their jurisdiction a few months back. However, the incessant monsoon rains and heavy traffic ensured that the noble deeds of the villagers were short-lived.
The MDTOA, during their road repairing initiative (July 29 and 30) is employing the help of four excavators, nine dumper trucks and four pick-up trucks. All the machineries were donated by the truck owners association only, disclosed the MDTOA member, who was overseeing the box-cutting at Chungtia village.
The MDTOA members asserted that they were repairing the road not only for the sake of the truckers but also for the other motorists who travel on this important stretch of road. They also strongly lamented the apathy of the state and central government over their negligence of this stretch of road.
