Nagaland government waiting for assessment report on Kohima-Dimapur 4-lane road, says Yhome

KOHIMA — The stretch of road between Chathe bridge and Khuokhi bridge (Pagala Pahar) in Chümoukedima district, along the Kohima-Dimapur four-lane road is currently unsafe for commuters, said Kesonyu Yhome, Commissioner and Secretary to the chief minister for Works and Housing.

The Commissioner of Police, Dimapur, had issued travel advisory restricting vehicular movement along the stretch of road citing safety concerns after a rockslide killed two people and injured three others. Commuters are currently taking an alternate route starting from 7th Mile in Dimapur via Shokhuvi-Pimla-Mhainamti-Punglwa-Jharnapani before joining the National Highway-29 at Medzhiphema.

Speaking to Eastern Mirror on the sidelines of an event in Kohima on Friday, the official said that appropriate safety measures and actions would be taken after assessing report by the implementing agency – National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL).

He said the government is also waiting report from the committee led by a secretary, Chümoukedima Deputy Commissioner, police representatives and technical experts, which was formed recently to assess the condition of the Kohima-Dimapur four-lane road.

“We are waiting for their assessment of the road condition,” Yhome said, adding that only then one will come to know if the affected stretch of road is safe for traffic.

Informing that there is another high-level technical committee reviewing the situation from various technical aspects, the official said they must rely on the assessment of the committees responsible for assessing the road instead of providing uninformed opinions.