PMGSY road remain unusable, villagers demand immediate repair
Source: The Sangai Express / Mungchan Zimik

Ukhrul, January 25 2018: The Eastern border villages of Ukhrul District have urged the State Government for immediate intervention regarding the restoration of the inter-village road from Zingsui to Hamlang village.

Speaking to our correspondent, the headman of Matiyang village, Mishivam stated that the stretch which is constructed PMGSY is the shortest route that connects the District headquarters, Ukhrul, with six villages namely Zingsui, Ronshak, Hamlang, Roni, Matiyang and Chammu.

The lifeline of the villagers is in a deplorable condition and vehicles are still not able to travel on the road.

The dilapidated condition of the stretch worsened during the monsoon season last year.

PMGSY road remain unusable, villagers demand immediate repair

The poor work quality and substandard road has brought nothing but hardships to the villagers.

The said stretch has no support or boundary of any sort, including drainage or slap culvert or breast wall etc to provide safety for the locals and the lack of maintenance has made the road almost unaccessible.

The villagers have repeatedly approached the contractors concerned to repair the road from Zingsui to Hamlang (around 45 km).

The mud and debris which were deposited during the grave flood also blocked most of the portion the road.

It can be recalled that during the monsoon season last year, a sick person from Khayang village was carried by foot on a bamboo stretcher upto the district hospital.

The patient took nearly three days to reach the destination for treatment, only because of the inaccessibility of the PMGSY road.

Even after such unfortunate incidents which was widely published in the local dailies, the contractors concerned continue to neglect the road and have not attempted to improve or repair the said PMGSY road, he asserted.

Repairing of road is only possible during dry seasons and until the inter-villages road is repaired, the road will serve no purpose to the villagers, lamented the headman.

In a separate report, the Veikhang Katamnao Long (VKL) expressed strong resentment towards the PMGSY contractors for not maintaining the road from Khangkhui Khullen to Nungshong Lamkhai.

According to a statement of VKL president Ringphapam Kasar, an official team including the Chairman of Tourism Department, Dr Ranjan, MLA Alfred Arthur experienced the pathetic condition of the road while on an inspection visit to Khangkhui cave.

Their vehicles got stuck in the mud several times.

The VKL and the border villages have further appealed the State Government for immediate intervention regarding the issue and to advise the contractors concerned to repair the PMGSY road before the monsoon season, considering the plight of the poor villagers.