Don't bypass our village : Lunghar VA
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 10 2023:
The Lunghar Village Authority in Ukhrul district has written to the Deputy Commissioner requesting the authorities concerned not to reroute or divert the National Highway 202 bypassing the village.
Reiterating its demand that the National Highway 202 should follow the old route, the village authority maintained that the "proposed" diversion/rerouting of the Highway by avoiding the village will defeat the purpose it (road) aims to serve.
While the highway is to provide better road connectivity and easy accessibility to the people, diverting the road from the village will have the opposite results.
The diversion will deprive the villagers of benefits of the highway, the Village Authority (VA) said in the letter.
The VA stressed that the people of Lunghar have repeatedly raised objections against diversion of the highway.
It said Lunghar is the "largest" vegetable producing village in the district, and this being the main source of livelihood, people in the village survive by vending vegetables on the road.
Poverty in the hills has adverse impact on sustainable use of natural resources, it said, adding "due to poverty, people in the hills are resorting to illegal cultivation of ganja and poppy" .
"They do it [cultivation of poppy] for survival.
This village (Lunghar) is an exception here as it does not cultivate poppy.
When survival is threatened people not only become violent but also indulge in illegal activities," it said lamenting that the State is "unable to provide alternative means of livelihood to the people [in the hills]" .
Further stating that the entire North East is witness to violent awakening of ethnic Nationalism, the village authority asserted that the proposed diversion is motivated by corporate profits earned by avoiding payment of compensation to some affected households.
There is conflict of interest between the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) and the village.
"The NHIDCL has repeatedly threatened the village that the widening of the National Highway 202 will be cancelled for objection raised by Lunghar; NHIDCL misled civil society organization in the district that Lunghar village is preventing development in the area which is not true but a malice" .
The village authority also claimed that the NHIDCL keeps twisting their words that they are not the right authority and they can only forward the village's request not to divert the road while at other times they told the villagers they don't need to go to Delhi as the matter could be settled here.
However, so far, the NHIDCL and all authorities concerned have failed to bring a solution, it added.
Stating that the diversion of the route will take away the benefit of the highway, the VA said it assures full cooperation of the village if the old route is followed.