Ao Senden says existing route was approved despite objections; seeks tunnel alignment if British Road route cannot secure Changki NOC; AKM backs demand
A section of the National Highway 702D (Mokokchung – Mariani) planned between X-Junction and Watiyim in Mokokchung has become the centre of a long-running dispute over where the highway should pass.
The issue is not about whether the road is needed. It is about which route should be built.
More than Rs 1,000 crore is reportedly being invested in the highway project, and the Ao Senden is arguing that the government should choose an alignment that is technically sound, safe, economically viable and capable of supporting future expansion.
The organisation is currently pushing for Option-IV, a tunnel alignment. Its preferred alternative, Option-III, through British Road/Chungliyimsen, faces a separate hurdle: the Changki Village Council has not provided the No Objection Certificate (NOC) sought for the route.
If the NOC for Option-III cannot be obtained, the Ao Senden wants the government to consider the tunnel option rather than proceed with the existing alignment.
The issue has now received fresh backing from the Ao Kaketshir Mungdang (AKM), which has endorsed the Ao Senden’s position and urged the government to make the decision based on long-term public interest, technical feasibility, road safety, economic efficiency and future connectivity.
How did the dispute begin?
The alignment question is not new. According to an internal memorandum circulated by the Ao Senden on August 28, five possible routes were initially considered for the X-Junction–Watiyim stretch.
At a meeting held in the office chamber of the Principal Secretary, Works & Housing, on September 16, 2021, Option-III and Option-IV were identified for recommendation to the State government.
The Ao Senden subsequently urged the Chief Minister to consider either of the two options. However, it said Changki Village Council declined to issue the NOC for Option-III.
The organisation then continued to approach State and Central authorities, including officials of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), over the alignment.
According to the memorandum, meetings held at the Mokokchung Deputy Commissioner’s office in July 2022 and November 2024, involving representatives of villages along NH-702D, also resolved to pursue the tunnel option.
The Ao Senden said its Executive Council subsequently resolved in July 2024 that it would continue pursuing Option-IV.
What changed in 2026?
The latest development came in July, when the Ao Senden said it learnt through the Ongpangkong Mungdang that the existing route had been approved.
The organisation objected to the reported approval in a letter dated August 19 to the Chief Engineer, PWD (National Highways), with copies sent to the MoRTH Regional Office, the Mokokchung Deputy Commissioner and the Executive Engineer, PWD (NH), Mokokchung.
The Ao Senden’s position is that if Option-III cannot proceed because of the NOC issue, the government should consider Option-IV instead.
It has also argued that spending more than Rs 1,000 crore on a highway that cannot accommodate future expansion would be poor long-term planning. The organisation wants an alignment that can eventually support four-laning rather than one that merely addresses the immediate requirement.
AKM has echoed this concern, while also calling for feeder roads so that villages and rural communities along the corridor can benefit from the highway.
For Mokokchung and neighbouring areas, NH-702D is expected to serve as an important route for the movement of people and goods, with wider implications for trade, education, healthcare and other economic activity.
The immediate question, therefore, is no longer simply whether the highway will be built. It is which route will ultimately carry it-and whether a decision made now will leave room for the road to meet the region’s connectivity needs in the future.
