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Our Correspondent
Kohima, Oct. 26 (EMN): In an effort to help ease the inconveniences faced by travellers commuting on National Highway-2 between Phesama and Khuzama, people in southern Angami area turned out in large numbers to repair the deplorable road on Wednesday.
The social work was spearheaded by the Southern Angami Public Organisation (SAPO) and several villages in the southern Angami region.
"The road has become so bad and risky for the commuters," SAPO General Secretary, Swelul Pucho told Eastern Mirror.
"People are facing untold miseries while travelling on the highway," he said, adding that they have initiated the road repair work to give a temporary relief to travellers.
Pucho asserted that the road has been in bad shape for over a year now as the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL) could not execute the work on time, and in the process turned from ‘bad to worse’.
Lives are threatened as vehicles meet with accidents every now and then on this stretch of road, he said.
“Everyday, school and college students as well as office goers among others are facing many extreme difficulties,” he lamented.
The repair road work was carried out on the stretch of road connecting the five villages of southern Angami region -- Phesama, Kigwema, Jakhama, Viswema and Khuzama -- with expenses being borne by the participants themselves while machinery like tippers, excavators, etc., were provided free by the villages.
In order to facilitate the repair work, heavy vehicles were prohibited from plying along the stretch of road during the working hours- from 6 am to 4 pm. However, passenger and light vehicles were allowed to ply.
SAPO General Secretary expressed happiness over people turning up in good numbers for the social work, saying that it was "satisfactory".
It may be recalled that the Southern Angami Youth Organisation (SAYO) had also taken up a similar task on this stretch of the national highway three months ago.
The National Highway - 2 which runs through the southern Angami area connects the two north-eastern states of Nagaland and Manipur.
The Kohima Bench of Gauhati High Court last week issued directives to the deputy commissioner of Kohima, contractor and others, with regard to National Highway-2 between Kohima and Mao, in view of the slow progress of work along the stretch of road.
During the hearing of a suo moto public interest litigation on the matter on October 17, the Managing Director of M/s Fortune Groups (contractor) submitted before the court that there were 65 skilled and non-skilled labourers at the spot, and materials along with the machinery were ready to start the work immediately. He added that 120 more labourers would be mobilised within three days (from Oct. 17) and 150 labourers within seven days to meet the target.
In view of this, the court directed the authority engineer and the NHIDCL to visit the site on October 18 and see if work had really started and submit a report to the court in the next hearing.