Avangkhu-Leyshi road likely to be pliable by Oct: Viu Belho

Principal Correspondent KOHIMA, SEPTEMBER 11 THE day is not far when Nagas of Nagaland and Myanmar will not have to take the trouble of walking for almost a day to reach on either side for their needs as the ongoing 22 kms road cutting from Avangkhu in Meluri Sub-division, under Phek district to Leyshi in Myanmar is on the verge of completion. The project will be completed and bus service to and fro Avangkhu and Leyshi will commence from October 2014. Out of the 22 kms stretch (initial survey), presently a little over 21 kms fresh cutting has been completed. The length of the road has been further extended by 3.5 kms taking it to 25.5 kms. Revealing this to a section of visiting media-persons on Monday at Avangkhu, Government registered First Class Contractor and recipient of Governor’s Gold Medal Award 2014 for his quality works, Viu Belho said that despite the several hurdles the fresh cutting of the road through the mountainous terrain and unexplored forest will be completed and roads are expected to be opened by October this year. The 65 year old government contractor, who has been into working for as contractor for almost 40 years, recollected that before him some other contractors had been assigned with the gigantic task of cutting the road from Avangkhu to the other side in Myanmar, but because of the thick forest cover, much of which had huge rocky portion they were unable to proceed. Viu said he had never been to the village but the then Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio asked him to take up project, which he started in May 2011. Satisfied that the project is nearing completion, he said that several hurdles came in between during the course of constructing the road but “once the challenge is taken up, I could not accept defeat”. Attributing the success of ongoing works to his family and friends prayer support, Viu said as the work progressed, the biggest hurdle was faced problems of rocky portion along stretch of mountainous terrain. However said that having the explosives license was a boon as it helped in purchase of dynamites to blast the rocky portions and cut the road ahead using four JCBs. Chairman of Avangkhu village T. Kansang acknowledging Viu’s service maintained that the villagers had never expected that they would be able to have road connecting to other side of the international border as in the past too contractors had tried but left the work even leaving their machinery. However, Viu has managed and once completed it will be very convenient for the people of the area to reach the other side and also enhance the economic activities, he said. Leaving behind his family members in Kohima, Viu has been personally conducting the survey for alignment of the road and also overseeing the progress of the road. Amongst the many construction works, the present Nagaland Assembly secretariat, Directorate of Fisheries and Embankment of the landslide area at Lower AG etc were also completed by him under the banner Viu & Sons. The Governor’s Gold Medalist recollected that during the span of his career, the most exciting as well as fearful was construction of Counter Fort Wall at Lower AG in 2002. Maintaining that he is satisfied and contended with all of his construction projects in the past, Viu said he is contemplating to retire from construction works after the completion the Avangkhu-Leyshi road. It may be recalled that Viu became a contractor right after his PU Science from Shillong in 1975 when he repaired the government quarter in Silonijan with an amount of Rs. 5000 after which he got into the construction world and moved on till date to be awarded with the Governor’s Gold Medal.