Sambu villages pin hope on roads for development
Source: Hueiyen News Service / R Lester Makang
Ukhrul, March 14 2015 :
Being left in a state of abject privation for decades, the hapless inhabitants of Sambu area in eastern Ukhrul district are facing miserable living conditions due to prolonged and acute lack of basic surface connectivity and infrastructure.
Residents have alleged that developmental schemes meant for the area get diverted to other places owing to difficulty in transportation of raw materials in the absence of any road communication facility.
Amidst the daily hardship, the proposed construction of roads under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) from Homlang (previously Sahamphung) to Chamu under l and ll Phase, Chamu to Kachouphung under l, ll and lll Phase and Zingsui to Homlang in the last Phase is beginning to give some hope for the poor inhabitants of Sambu range.
It is believed that if the schemes are implemented properly, there would be considerable development in road connectivity in the area, said AS Nathan, President, Sambu Raiping Katamnao Long (SRKL) in a press meet held Thursday at its office at Phungreitang.
Sambu Raiping area in Eastern Ukhrul bordering Myanmar covers 29 contiguous Tangkhul villages.
Five of these villages fall under Ukhrul block and the rest under Kamjong sub-divisional block.
The proposed road construction is supposed to connect many far-off villages located in the extreme east to the district Headquarters passing through 11 villages, Nathan said.
He stated that the people of the area want to take maximum advantage of the centrally sponsored scheme so that road connectivity benefits all the contiguous villages.
"We therefore, appeal all the concerned contractors/agencies of PMGSY, Ukhrul district to maintain quality in the road construction as per the stipulated guidelines," He urged the authorities to work out new alignments instead of following the old British road which is no longer a feasible route having steep slopes at various points.
The said old British road extends only till Khayang village located about 40 km Southeast of Ukhrul town, while the rest of villages beyond Khayang do not have motorable roads.
He rued the fact that till today, inhabitants of three villages -Phungka, Kashung and Kachouphung located about 140 km from the District Headquarters, have not seen any motor vehicles.
Highlighting the daily hardship faced by the people, Nathan said that there have been many cases where people falling ill could not be taken to hospital for treatment in time and cited incidents of persons dying along the way.
He said all these difficulties persists till today even as development activities like installation of BSNL tower and water pipe-lines have been shifted elsewhere due to absence of proper road connectivity.
While exuding confidence that all contractors engaged with executing construction work would not compromise on quality, he also appealed village headmen and the general public of Sambu area to extend full cooperation.
Nathan informed that SRKL would keep close tabs on the work progress of the development programmes to be implemented in the most underdeveloped area of Ukhrul district.