Suffice it to say how good roads are important. Much has been said about the importance of good roads – starting from its contribution to economic development and growth to social benefits, and more – so much so that it has now become a clichéd term. But for the unassuming lot, not having good roads is just as normal as the sun rising in the east. We have gotten so used to not having good roads now we don’t even bother to live and die with it in peace. A cosmetic blacktopping of your neighborhood road every once in a couple of decades is not a good road, mind you. A road repairing or maintenance work that does not last a monsoon is not a good road. We are conditioned to live with bad roads, effectively making us not know what a good road is! We were born into a land with no good roads, we live in a land where there are no good roads, and we die without experiencing the benefits of good roads. Good roads simply don’t exist in our world. So, we must accept our fate and happily ride off into the sunset. Or, we wake up from our slumber and build good roads.
During the past few days, we have seen a lot of questions being raised on bad roads. Ao Senden serving an ultimatum to NHIDCL to restore and make NH 702D motorable was one. The weak Bailey bridge over river Dikhu was another. Church workers repairing Jangpetkong road and residents of various wards in Mokokchung repairing their colony roads were widely reported. Zunheboto Deputy Commissioner writing to the Chief Engineer, NPWD (NH) citing the deplorable condition of Zunheboto-Mokokchung road (NH 702) stating that “resultant death and injuries due to vehicular accident with deplorable road condition may amount to criminal negligence on the part of PWD (NH) and its officers” was a reflection of how hapless the situation is. We know the condition of the Hospital Road in our beloved Mokokchung town. With no resources at its disposal for maintenance of the Hospital Road, the district administration had to write to the Urban Development department. And then we have Artang ward residents paving a 1.5 Km road on their own. There are multiple factors for all of these road issues but boiled down to the essence, there is one thing that these perpetual issues of bad roads have laid bare – systemic corruption. And there is no escape from this. As long as systemic corruption persists, there is never going to be good roads. Let that sink in.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister of Nagaland has announced in the just concluded assembly that Rs.1.07 crore has been sanctioned for road maintenance of Mokokchung town and that maintenance works would start as soon as the working season starts. Rs.1.07 crore is peanuts for road maintenance and we don’t know whether we should feel grateful or affronted. But there is one positive that we can take away from it – and that is, we can make every rupee of it count. Or, can we?