The Chakhroma Youth Organization (CYO) has raised serious concerns over the ongoing construction of the 4-lane National Highway-29 from Dimapur to Kohima, undertaken by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL). In a letter addressed to the Chief Secretary of Nagaland, the CYO has called for immediate intervention, citing potential hazards that could result in disasters or even loss of lives if left unaddressed.
“We are convinced that your prompt intervention could prevent potential disasters and even loss of lives,” the CYO wrote in their letter, emphasizing the urgency of the matter.
The organization, which represents several Chakhroma villages affected by the highway project, stated that they have been closely monitoring the construction process. “CYO has also reached out to the contracting firms and NHIDCL on multiple occasions, appealing the agencies for adequate safety measures,” the letter noted. Despite these efforts, the CYO expressed disappointment over the “snail-paced progress of work” and the “lack of quality workmanship” exhibited by the agencies involved.
The letter specifically highlighted concerns about the stretch of highway between Chathe Bridge and New Chümoukedima, which runs along the Chathe River. The CYO criticized the NHIDCL’s decision to widen the road on unstable earth fillings instead of conducting fresh earth cutting to ensure stability. “The instability of soil is a known fact, and NHIDCL with its top-notch engineers and experts surveyed and determined the basis before construction began,” the letter stated. Despite this knowledge, the NHIDCL “chose to frivolously remain indifferent to the single-most important fact,” that the widening was being done on earth fillings near the riverbank.
“With the first showers of the monsoon, a great portion of the road is washed away, and the remaining parts are a liability endangering the lives of thousands of commuters,” the CYO warned, further stressing that the road’s current condition is “threatening the normal life of the citizens.”
In their letter, the CYO requested the government to provide sufficient land to NHIDCL and the contracting firms to ensure proper earth cutting, allowing for safer road construction. They proposed slope or step cutting of the earth to replace the steep and dangerous excavation methods currently being used along the highway. “Safety measures can be made in the form of slope/step cutting of earth instead of precariously steep excavation all along the highway,” they argued.
The CYO called for the Chief Secretary’s immediate intervention to hold the responsible agencies accountable for their actions. “We firmly believe that your competent authority will be able to affect a process where the responsible agencies will be taken to task and their work methods duly monitored by the government; thereby averting man-made disasters that could potentially endanger the lives of many,” the organization stated.
Despite their frustrations, the CYO affirmed their commitment to supporting the government’s efforts if necessary changes are made. “We also confide that CYO has demonstrated utmost restraint to the haphazardly conduct of the responsible agencies till date but will not hesitate to seek other course of action if the legitimate claims are not heeded to,” they warned, while assuring their “fullest cooperation and support” if the concerns of the public are addressed.