Built decades ago by the forefathers of Chuchuyimlang Village through community resources, the approximately 8-km Dikhu–Chuchuyimlang road is being revived by communities as Longleng faces the threat of being cut off again by landslides.
The restoration comes amid a huge landslide, mudslide and debris along National Highway 702. With continued rainfall, the highway could be blocked, potentially leaving Longleng disconnected again, LEMSACHENLOK Team Leader Dr Y Nuklu Phom told MT.
“The restoration is an alternative purely undertaken by communities,” Nuklu Phom said.
The road, which has been sustained and maintained over the decades by the Chuchuyimlang Village Council through community self-reliance, has not generally been usable during the monsoon due to constrained resources.
Now, as the district looks for an alternative route, the Longleng district administration and Phom civil society organisations have joined hands with the Chuchuyimlang community to restore the road. Portions of the road falling under Unger Village are also being restored with the consent of the village.
The effort reflects a revival of a route that was itself created through community initiative. The Dikhu–Chuchuyimlang stretch was created by the people of Chuchuyimlang and maintained by the village over generations.
Prior to the commencement of restoration, a delegation comprising Longleng Deputy Commissioner W. Manpai Phom, the Phom Peoples’ Council led by President YB Angam Phom, and the LEMSACHENLOK team led by Dr Nuklu Phom held a consultative meeting with the Chuchuyimlang Village Council.
With existing connectivity vulnerable to further disruption, the delegation proposed the immediate joint restoration of the road, which received the cooperation of the Chuchuyimlang Village Council.
The restoration has also drawn support from the Naam Foundation, which has deployed two excavators and two backhoe loaders for the work.
A prayer and restoration program was subsequently held at Dikhu Bridge, led by Dr Nuklu Phom. Representatives of the Chuchuyimlang Village Council, Langpangkong Tzükong Mungdang, Unger Village Council and the Phom Peoples’ Council joined the program, reflecting the wider community participation in the effort.
According to Nuklu Phom, the road will become motorable once the landslides along the stretch are cleared. It is intended primarily for small vehicles and public services. If other routes are blocked, it can also be used for the movement of essential commodities and emergency services towards Mokokchung and Kohima.
The route will also provide a significantly shorter road towards Kohima once restored.