[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he New Year appears to hold out high hopes for changes in some areas of public life in the state if the recent spurt of energy and interest in the state of the roads will continue by the Minister of Roads and Bridges Kuzholuzo (Azo) Nienu.
Almost every day we learn of the Minister in a new part of Nagaland supervising and checking on the progress of roads that have been sanctioned. While the BJP a constituent of the NPF-led DAN government have been critical of the Border Roads Organisation and the alleged carelessness of the organization the Minister has sought to change this public perception and sought cooperation from the same.Of course, the Minister should know the ‘happy’ public seeing the visible changes taking place on the roads they travel daily, are also holding their breath and that the monsoon will not wash away their long desired dreams for a smooth ride. But even as the black tarmac roads appear it is setting a contrasting backdrop for the undiminishing garbage on the repaired roads and the absence of drains!
The public must be taken aback by the Minister unleashing total energy into his department, but in this case Mr. Nienu simply had no choice. It was either a shake-up in the department or a stir in the streets with the condition of almost all roads in the state having reached the end of their lives.
While the roads are undergoing a makeover of sorts or if you like, a face lift, dare the public hope that other complementary departments will also attempt to get their act together.
The Dimapur Municipal Corporation for one and the Urban Development.
Sidewalks, whatever little stretches have paved pathways, are also in need of repairs with broken tiles and gaping holes all a pre-prepared out for a readymade death trap for the unsuspecting. Well if not death, certainly a twisted ankle or breaking a bone or two in your body. Hopefully, the smarter roads will also see the installation of some street lights in our capital and bigger towns to start with. In fifty years of statehood surely, the people are deserving of this facility.
Then again in today’s world, ‘development’ is not only about good roads and street lighted streets …etc.
In other words, development is not only assessed in material benefits and comforts.
‘Human development’ embraces factors such as social equity, health care standards for everybody, gender equality, eco friendliness, general sense of wellbeing etc.
A developed society is not one where even the poor can afford a car but one in which even the rich prefer to travel by public transport. We often read this about leaders in ‘developed’ societies. For example, former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, travels by city buses and metro train services. But we have managed to reduce ‘public transport’ to the last rung of our consciousness and look upon it as the last choice fit only for ‘somebody else’. Hopefully, the improvement of roads will see an improvement in public transport connectivity which will inject lift to the quality of living in rural Nagaland by giving the population in these areas a choice for cheaper, safer transport and a sense of connection to the rest of the state.
A robust, working public transport will also most certainly encourage the youth across all sections of the society to get out there and visit districts and villages across Nagaland, and help the economy in the villages.
In other words, good roads is good economic sense, and if people are ready for this we can make a start by taking care that the stretches of roads now being improved are looked after.
Don’t dump your garbage on the road or clog the drains.
Maintain traffic rules and do not drive into barriers and dividers … for a start.
