Blacktopping on Kachai road a far cry, villagers left in lurch
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 19 2018:
Leave aside blacktopping of road for smooth passage, Kachai village in Ukhrul district since its adoption many years back is yet to witness laying of even a single piece of stone on Kachai road for blacktopping.
Regardless of seasons, most of the parts of the road are filled with mud compelling the villagers to suffer untold miseries.
Talking to The Sangai Express, RK Kerolin Tangkhul, a resident of the village said that their forefathers used to tell them that during their lifetimes not a single piece of stone was laid on Kachai road for blacktopping by the concerned Department.
She regretted that a huge amount of water flowing from the hills has been causing waterlogging on the road obstructing movement of pedestrians and vehicles.
She narrated that only one vehicle comes out in the morning for transportation between Ukhrul Market and Imphal and the same vehicle comes back only in the evening.
There have been many instances when passengers had to dug earth and fill it on the areas where the vehicle skidded due to the deplorable condition of the road, she said.
Kerolin claimed that there have also been instances when pregnant mothers delivered babies in seat of the vehicles along the road on the way to the hospital.
She informed that there is one dispensary in the village with only one nurse rendering healthcare services to the villagers.
Due to the lack of proper healthcare facilities, the villagers had to take advantages of the rare medical camp held in the village, she rued.
Pointing out that the Government had been urged repeatedly to repair the road at the earliest, she contended that most of the MLAs elected from Chingai Assembly Constituency failed to repair the road.
She said that the villagers were delighted to see repairing of some parts of the road recently but their excitement was short-lived as the repairing work stopped midway without providing any concrete reasons.
There are around 4000 people in the village with farming as their main occupation.
Children of the village are studying at Kachai High School, one Government school and two private schools, she informed.
Saying that the villagers do not face problem when it comes to electricity and water supply, she appealed to the Government to repair the deplorable road as soon as possible.