Ao Senden says it will not hold in favour of any survey option made available till date
The Ao Senden has said it will not support any of the survey options made available so far for the realignment of National Highway 702D, while insisting that the Mokokchung–Mariani highway must be developed as a two-lane road throughout without any bottleneck.
In a representation to the Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister in charge of Planning & Transformation and National Highways, the apex Ao Naga civil society organisation said its Sanen Luden (Executive Committee), at its meeting on September 15, resolved that NH-702D, which it described as the lifeline of Mokokchung, Zunheboto and the eastern districts, must have a two-lane configuration throughout.
It stated that “any configuration less than 2-Lane at any point” would not be acceptable and that the highway must remain free of bottlenecks along the entire stretch.
The representation also urged the State government to impress upon the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to revisit its decision of July 23, 2026, which, according to the Ao Senden, approved the existing road alignment of NH-702D.
The Ao Senden pointed out that the realignment issue has been under consideration since 2021. At a meeting held on September 16, 2021, four options were discussed. It said Options I and II, including the existing road, were not recommended on account of terrain-related concerns and the longer distance involved, while Options III and IV were recommended for further consideration.
Option III proposed the Changki X junction–Mangkolemba route through the old British Road/Chungliyimsen, while Option IV proposed the Longjenkong (New Camp)–Mangkolemba route involving the Tunnel Road.
At a subsequent meeting convened by the PWD (National Highways) in July 2022, the Ao Senden, Ao Students’ Conference and other stakeholders recommended Option IV, except the Changki Village Council, which had objected to the proposed realignment on the grounds that it passed through the village’s Bio Reserve Zone.
Following submission of a modified realignment report, another stakeholder meeting was held at the Deputy Commissioner’s conference hall in November 2024. According to the Ao Senden, the stakeholders again unanimously recommended Option IV for Section III of the modified NH-702D realignment.
The Ao Senden said it subsequently approached the Chief Engineer, PWD (NH), the Chief Engineer (NE) and the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways seeking approval of Option IV in 2024 and 2025. It also referred to a representation submitted by the Civil Society Organisation, Mangkolemba, to the Chief Secretary in June 2025. The organisation said no response had been received to its appeals.
According to the representation, the July 23 MoRTH meeting, held under the chairmanship of the Director General (Road Development) and Special Secretary, approved the existing road of NH-702D. The Ao Senden said this was despite the earlier rejection of the existing alignment at the 2021 meeting and the recommendations made during subsequent stakeholder consultations.
The organisation has also raised a concern over a statement attributed to the consultant in the July 23 minutes of meeting. The minutes, according to the representation, stated that “different tribes of Changki village are demanding that the alignment pass through their established settlements.”
However, the Ao Senden said MARC Technocrats Ltd., through a letter dated September 14, 2026, clarified that the consultant had made no such statement to MoRTH or any other higher authority.
The Ao Senden has further raised concerns over the existing road between chainages 39.620 km and 42 km, arguing that if the stretch is forced into a two-lane configuration, it could result in a bottleneck. It compared the potential situation to the Paglaphar stretch of NH-29 between the Chathe River Bridge and Kukidolong River Bridge, arguing that such a configuration would not adequately serve the purpose of a two-lane national highway.
The organisation said national highways are constructed in the interest of the nation and the people and argued that safety, convenience and public interest should be given priority in the realignment and construction of NH-702D.
To support its argument, the Ao Senden cited a Kerala High Court ruling in Pauly Vadakkan vs Corporation of Chennai & 15 Ors, which, according to the representation, observed that development activities cannot come at the cost of the convenience and lives of people.
The organisation also linked the alignment issue to the development of Mangkolemba, describing it as one of the oldest subdivisions in Nagaland and among the least developed in terms of infrastructure. It argued that a two-lane highway passing through Mangkolemba would provide a major boost to economic development in the area.
It further argued that highway construction in Nagaland inevitably involves cutting green fields given the State’s forested terrain, while maintaining that this should be considered alongside the need for an appropriate and safe alignment.
The Ao Senden has therefore urged the Deputy Chief Minister to impress upon the Union Minister and MoRTH to revisit the July 23 decision and approve an entire two-lane NH-702D between Mokokchung and Mariani without any bottleneck.
