The state of roads in Mokokchung town is nothing short of dismal. Potholes, eroded shoulders, uneven surfaces, and dust clouds and mud puddles have become the defining features of its streets. While the government allocates funds periodically for repairs and maintenance, the results on the ground tell a different story — of inadequate funding, poor workmanship, and persistent neglect.
It is no secret that even when repair works are undertaken, they are often carried out hastily and without adherence to quality standards. Roads that are patched up one season seem to fall apart the next. Alongside this, systemic issues such as the absence of proper drainage, faulty road gradient design, and unplanned digging by various departments and individuals contribute further to the rapid degradation. In short, the road problem in Mokokchung is not merely a funding issue; it is a governance and accountability issue.
Yet, responsibility does not lie with the government alone. The sorry state of Mokokchung’s roads reflects a deeper malaise within our civic culture. Citizens tolerate, and sometimes even abet, substandard work. Civil society, which has historically played a strong role in Nagaland’s public life, appears to be silent or sporadic in its response to this slow decay. It is time for that silence to end.
What Mokokchung needs is a people-led “Good Roads Movement.” A public hearing perhaps convened by civil society organizations and open to all stakeholders, would be a vital first step. Such a platform would allow residents to voice their grievances, experts to propose solutions, and the government to be held directly accountable. Transparency in road contracts, monitoring of work quality, and active citizen participation can no longer be optional.
But as we raise our voices against the government, let us also look in the mirror. The broken roads of Mokokchung are not just a failure of governance; they are a reflection of the character of the town’s people. A community that shrugs off poor construction, ignores encroachments, or allows public funds to be misused cannot escape responsibility. If our roads are crumbling, it is partly because our standards have. If we accept mediocrity and dysfunction as normal, we invite more of it. If we speak out and organize, change becomes possible.
Until Mokokchung’s citizens begin to demand better — and hold themselves to higher standards — the town may well be destined to endure bad roads in perpetuity.
