Village council rejects need for alternate alignment through old British Road, cites landslide and environmental risks
The Changki Village Council has appealed to the apex Ao Senden to support the construction of the proposed two-lane NH-702D along the existing road, opposing a proposed alternate alignment through the old British Road towards Chungliyimsen.
In an open letter to the President of Ao Senden, the village council said the government had sought an NOC from Changki for transforming the existing road into a two-lane highway. It said the council had resolved to offer land to the east of the village as well as along the existing road and had accordingly issued the NOC.
The council said it had subsequently learnt that the government had resolved to construct the two-lane highway along the existing road. Against this backdrop, it said it did not find it necessary to provide another NOC for the alternate alignment proposed by the apex Ao Senden.
The village council said the proposed alignment through the old British Road would be difficult to execute because of the area’s terrain and environmental conditions.
According to the council, the area is densely forested and falls under an “Eco Reserve Forest” and a “Reserve Catchment Area” that has been preserved for many years. It claimed that at least 11 villages draw drinking water from sources located in the area.
The council also raised concerns over the area’s steep and unstable terrain, stating that coal mining had been carried out there for many years and that numerous “rat holes” had been dug across three layers.
It further pointed out that the area contains farms and reserve farmlands. The council expressed apprehension that debris generated during earthwork for highway construction could damage paddy fields, farms, water bodies and residential areas located below.
The council said such construction could also affect farms, paddy fields and other properties belonging to Atuphu, Chungliyimsen, Japu, Satsuk, Merayim and Changki villages.
It also warned of the possibility of landslides, saying construction along the route could damage parts of Chungliyimsen village.
“Further, and most importantly,” the council stated, given the vertical terrain of the area, it appeared to be impossible to construct a two-lane road there.
The Changki Village Council also recalled that when the government sought land in 1966 to open the Border Road, its forefathers had allowed the road to be opened without compensation. It said the road had since benefited not only the Ao community but everyone using it for more than six decades.
The council therefore urged the Ao Senden to consider its appeal and support the construction of the two-lane highway along the existing road.
The letter was signed by the Chairman and Secretary of the Changki Village Council.
