As a New Zealander visiting Nagaland for the first time, I am struck by the grandeur of the mountains, the villages clinging to the sides of steep slopes, and Kohima town functioning on top of a mountain range. The ingenuity, the courage and stamina of your people, living in such challenging geography is an inspiration. The Naga people I have been privileged to meet and whose hospitality I have enjoyed have been ever friendly and courteous.
But coming from a country which has challenging terrain itself, my husband and I were appalled at the conditions local people are having to endure with your new four lane highway under construction by the National Highway Authority of India. It is of course a wonderful dream to link Dimapur and Kohima in a superhighway, but the logic of doing it all at once instead of in stages clearly puts all those using the road, locals and tourists alike, under extreme pressure.
While it is true that retaining walls are in position over some of the route, the potential for hillsides to slip shows that more attention needs to be given to land stability – the lengthy diversions already in place are a constant reminder of that. Nor is there clear evidence of drainage ditches to carry away monsoon rains. The unfortunate result of road building activity is that large stretches of road have become stream beds with monsoon rain flowing in the middle of them instead of in the drains. The endless pot holes are caused by these same streams.
I do hope that those in authority will plan how to ease the situation for the long suffering public and visitors like us who wish the best for the Naga people.
Sincerely,
Glenys Wood
Wellington
New Zealand
