Kaka D. Iralu
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]his is just to express a word of appreciation to the Lhisema and Pfiichatsuma Khel Youth Organizations of Kohima village for their stand against BRO/ BRTF in connection with the road repair works between Tin Pati and BSF camp at Kohima. (Local papers dated 17th August 2014). I too saw the protest march of the five schools and public, as well as read the BRTF rejoinder. As far as the rejoinder is concerned, I also felt that the write up was too technical and arrogant with not the slightest tone of apology for dereliction of duty and sympathy over public anger.On August 14, I also plied on the same road and while rushing towards Chedema village for the Naga Independence day function. I was horrified when I came across a thirty metre stretch of- what I can only call as a “ Road Lake”- streching on the main road right in front of me. What struck me then was: “I need a boat and not a Bolero to cross this lake.” To turn back and go all over town again to take the alternative route via Chotobosti would mean missing the whole Independence Day function. So I drove through the road lake and somehow made it to the other side by sheer good luck and thirty five years of driving experience behind me. However, I am still not sure whether”I drove across” or” sailed across” or whether the whole experience was just a bad dream?
The point I want to make is this: This is the monoon season and that “Road Lake” was there because the BRTF had not done any maintenance work on the blocked drainage pipe that had resulted in a small stream depositing all the silt and mud right across 50 or so metres of the road surface. Now by “maintenance work not done on that stretch of road”; I am not talking about a “Profile correction” job or a “Resurfacing” job which may involve lakhs and crores of Rupees. What I mean is just ordinary and simple maintenace work of “Monsoon damage rectification” which would involve just a truck load of BRO staff to clear the blocked drain in just a few hours. But if the BRO/BRTF cannot do even such a small maintenance job, then what is the use of mainaining such a huge organization at such huge cost to the Indian exchequer?
One last shot while we are still under the shadow of the Mosoon season. Every year, during the dry seasons, electricity problems always crop up. The explanation from the Power department is always the usual excuse that during the dry seasons, due to drop of water level in the dams, electriciy generation drastically drops in production. Now the monsoon this year has been very good but there is still IRRITATING POWER cuts going on in the midst of the monsoon downpour. The question therefore is: “Why is there power scarcity in the midst of this Monsoon abundace? Is this because the monsoons have broken down all the dam walls in the North East India this year? To wrap up, what the Naga public would like to know from the Government and its various departments is precisely this querry: “Today in Nagaland, why are there lakes where they should not be there and also why are the lakes that should be there not doing what they should be doing?.” Is this present mess due to the fact that corruption has reached such levels where even our dam walls and drain pipes have become victims of its insatiable appetite?
