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KOHIMA — Prolonged and heavy rainfall has severely affected the condition of roads, including national highways, across Nagaland this year and the concerned authorities are said to be working round-the-clock to provide alternate routes for travelers, while remaining actively involved in restoration efforts.
An engineer from the Public Works Department (PWD), who is responsible for the maintenance of the national highways, told Eastern Mirror on Wednesday that incessant rainfall has left several sections of the highways in a “deplorable” condition.
However, he assured that their team is working diligently to address the issues while also striving to provide alternate roads to minimise the inconvenience of travellers.
Updating road damages in the state, he said a main road in Shamator district has experienced complete erosion, forcing them to prioritise the opening of an alternate route in that area.
Regarding the Kohima-Dimapur four-lane road (NH-29), which is managed by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), he said commuters can still travel through the region using alternate routes.
[bsa_pro_ad_space id=1]However, he mentioned that certain vital roads in districts like Mon have been significantly impacted and might take time to complete the restoration work.
It may be mentioned that Minister of Health and Family Welfare, P Paiwang Konyak, also inspected the National Highway-702 in Mon on Tuesday.
"We are trying our best," the engineer said while informing that the damage caused by the rainfall is severe this year.
Despite the challenges, he said that, with the exception of a few locations, most national highways in the state are open to traffic.
The engineer also said that they had received information about a section of the national highway in Noklak being severely damaged due to the adverse weather conditions. Restoration efforts are currently underway in that area, but the extent of the damage necessitates more time before the roads can be completely restored, he noted.
"The heavy rain has caused massive damage, coupled with collateral damages everywhere, and some portions of the highways are completely destroyed," he said, adding that landslides have also affected buildings in some areas.
He acknowledged that they anticipate ongoing challenges in their restoration efforts until the monsoon season subsides.
[bsa_pro_ad_space id=1]In Shamator, the roadblock remains unresolved as houses are located atop landslide sites, hindering clearing efforts; as a result, discussions were held to identify alternate routes from rural to urban areas, aiming to provide convenience for travelers, he said.
Further, it has been reported that Longleng district has been affected by road blockades for several days, prompting engineers to work vigorously to restore road access.
While asserting that dealing with the damages caused by natural calamities has proven to be a challenging task, the official said their network enables them to establish alternate routes at different locations when road closures occur, although the condition of such routes may not be as good as the national highways.
While specific details about the damages are still awaited, discussions at the chief secretary level are underway to address road blockages and explore alternate road options, the engineer informed.
He also expressed optimism that they would be able to restore vital transportation links.
Also read: Nagaland experiences good rainfall