“Rich people, poor roads”, traveler tweets to Nagaland Minister Imna Along
In what can be considered as a rather uncomfortable encounter for Minister Temjen Imna Along, an independent media professional, Aditi Dave, shared her travel experience to Nagaland where she tweeted the Minister about “beautiful Nagaland” and how she travelled till Noklak district and met the “most warm Nagas there.”
She went on to say that as she passed by Longtho and the Minister’s “beautiful home”, she “found the worst roads in India ever” and “felt scared for her life” as she “crossed the 5-10 km stretch of road.” She also tweeted, “Rich people, poor roads.”
The Minister swiftly responded, thanking her for her input and apologizing for the road.
“I’m sorry you had a tough ride but hopefully initiatives are being made for the construction of better road,” he tweeted. “I assure your next visit will be a smooth one,” he promised.
This sparked discussion among netizens, with some cynically pointing out that the reason Nagaland state ranks second lowest in the number of deaths caused by road accidents is due to such poor road conditions. According to the National Crime Record Bureau, Nagaland had 1.24 road deaths per one lakh people in 2020.
Meanwhile, another Twitter user added, “ If you consider Longtho area is worst, then I wonder how you will feel if you travel from Longtho via Satsuk to Zuxushe via Chanka via Wozhu Old via Litchuyan via Wozhu New via Sumito via Khakuthato via Akuhaiqa via Longtho under 40 a/c bhandari northern sumi area”.
The poor state of the roads in Nagaland has become a topic of discussion among residents, particularly in Mokokchung.
The 84.9 km Mokokchung-Mariani road, officially known as National Highway NH 702D, is Nagaland’s second busiest highway, and it passes through Longtho outpost near the Minister’s residence, which has been in disarray for years. In fact, due to the poor state of the road, commuters from Mokokchung to Dimapur or vice versa have been taking the Mangmetong road while intra-district Mokokchung travelers have been bypassing a terrible stretch of the highway by taking the diversion route that passes through the heart of Changki village. Most travelers to or from Mangkolemba block also take the alternate route via Impur/Mopungchuket/Khar instead of the National Highway.
Meanwhile, as previously reported by this newspaper, a group of residents of Artang Ward in Mokokchung town told this newspaper that the Government last repaired the road eight years ago, and that the road, which was supposed to be fixed by the Urban Development Department, has made no progress so far.
Similarly, residents of Marepkong Ward in Mokokchung Town chose to repair the ward’s main road themselves after the government failed to do so for 12 years, while four youth organizations wrote to the Deputy Commissioner of Mokokchung requesting that the Dr. Imkongliba Memorial District Hospital (IMDH) Road be repaired from the main Police Point to the Sewak Gate junction.
Meanwhile, members of Mokokchung town’s Kumlong Ward and IOC Taxi Union filled multiple potholes along Mariani Road between Milak Junction and New Market as well as at Rotary Junction, on their own earlier this week.
Recalling the 2015 Bombay High Court ruling that states, “It is high time that all concerned clearly understand that the right to have properly maintained roads is a part of fundamental rights guaranteed by Article 21 of the Constitution of India and in the event any loss is caused due to its violation, citizens have a right to seek compensation,” is it not time for the concerned authorities to wake up to their responsibilities or the citizens to claim their right?