The swift restoration of traffic following Friday’s landslides in Mokokchung deserves recognition. In a state where a blocked highway can isolate communities, disrupt the supply of essential commodities and endanger lives, the ability of officials and agencies to clear debris and reopen roads within hours demonstrates commendable preparedness and coordination.
Yet emergency response is only one part of preparedness.
The more difficult question begins after the excavators have left and vehicles are moving again. How long will it take for the damaged stretches to be repaired properly? More importantly, will they be restored as durable infrastructure or merely patched temporarily until the next heavy rain exposes the same vulnerabilities again?
The buckling of a section of National Highway-2 near Liroyim was not an ordinary landslide. A road surface being pushed upward by the force of falling debris is a reminder that our terrain presents engineering challenges that require more than routine maintenance. It demands detailed geological assessments, slope stabilisation measures, proper drainage systems and long-term mitigation planning.
Every monsoon brings similar scenes across Nagaland: roads blocked, traffic stranded, machinery rushed to the site, and temporary restoration celebrated. But the cycle repeats because preparedness has too often been measured by how quickly roads are reopened rather than by how effectively they are rebuilt.
Roads in Nagaland are not merely transport links. They are economic lifelines. Delays in permanent restoration affect trade, healthcare access, education and livelihoods. The people deserve timelines, transparency and assurance that reconstruction will be undertaken with resilience in mind.
Preparedness, therefore, must be understood in its entirety. It is not only the capacity to respond to disaster but also the commitment to reduce the likelihood of the same disaster recurring at the same location.
The response this week showed that emergency mechanisms are functioning. The real test now is whether the damaged roads will be repaired properly and permanently, before another spell of rain turns today’s success story into tomorrow’s crisis.
