Submerged Colonies: Dimapur citizens bring the storm on railways

DIMAPUR, JUNE 18: THE Shatabdi train to Nagaland which was to arrive at Dimapur at 10:30 am was held up at Diphu for more than an hour after Dimapur residents residing along the Dimapur Railway Station launched an agitation in the form of blockade on the line as proposed on June 16. The protesting residents were from areas namely the Railway Bazaar, the Chatteswary Colony, the Manipuri Colony and the West Yard Colony whose areas have been submerged and for which the residents had been demanding redress. Fortunately for the Shatabdi passengers, the communities called off the agitation following the intervention of a local MLA, Tovihoto Ayemi, and assurances from the railway authorities. The authorities requested the protestors to give them 24 hours to ‘clear the submerged area.’ This assurance was given by Divisional Railway Manager for Lumding PK Singh. The residents of the five colonies took to ‘peaceful blocking’ of railway services from 8:30 am on Saturday. The agitation lasted for about four hours. With hue and cry from the public climbing crescendo demanding immediate attention to their grievances, legislator Ayemi addressed the irate residents saying that their grievances would not be taken lightly. The issue is everyone’s problem, the politician asserted. He conveyed to the residents that the railway authorities would be clearing the clogged areas by Monday June 20. Ayemi also called upon the residents to have patience and let the railway authorities do their work. ‘Their protest will not bring about any solution,’ he said. The legislator also assured them the state government along with the Dimapur district administration will ‘look into their problem together.’ The legislator also remarked that the Dimapur railway authorities should not give ‘any chance to the public to pinpoint their negligence.’ While assurances have been given by both the parties, the residents on the other hand were skeptical that the verbal commitments given by the authorities would materialize and whether work would be undertaken according to their assertions. The Chief Executive Officer of the Dimapur Municipal Council Atokhe Ayemi, Dimapur districts’ sub-divisional officer (civil) Albert Ezung and police officials were also present during the interactions with the five colonies. It may be noted that DMC officials had conducted a health drive for five days in the area with measures to sensitize the residents on water-borne diseases and malaria, mainly in the backdrop of the areas being submerged following the rains.