Roads connectivity ! What is that ?
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: May 07, 2012 -

A stretch of NH-53 which has been crying out for improvement in 2011 - Pix :: TSE

It may sound cliché, but the importance of road connectivity and improvement of the existing roads could never be undermined for development of a state, especially a land-locked like Manipur.

With almost 90 percent of the total geographical area under difficult hilly terrain, the transport infrastructure in Manipur is essentially road-based, and development of the existing road infrastructure is of paramount importance for ensuring not just connectivity and progress of the state but also for ensuring the administrative set up reaches the isolated people living in far flung areas.

In fact, being a land-locked state, successful implementation of any developmental projects or schemes in Manipur is also solely dependent on enhanced road connectivity.

In the absence of any other viable mode of transports, development of a well-knit road network, which invariably includes improvement of the existing road condition, assumes greater significance.

That is the reason why road connectivity is considered to be the backbone for socio-economic development of Manipur, and this is what we have been hearing at every workshop and seminar related to developmental issues of the state.

However, what see on the ground is totally different from what is being talked about in these apparently endless workshops and seminars.

Just take a look at the condition of the existing roads in Imphal, the CAPITAL city, and it would suffice the point we are trying to drive home. Contrarily to any improvement over the years, what we see today is steady deterioration in the conditions of the 'puddles' that are being passed off as roads crisscrossing the entire length and breadth of the State.

Interestingly, in a complete reversal to general impression over what the roads in a Capital city should look like, the condition of the roads in Imphal and its surrounding areas is far more deplorable than the ones located beyond the hustle and bustle of the city.

There is not even a road stretch in Imphal where one can expect to enjoy a smooth ride without negotiating the puddles during rainy season or shielding oneself from the dust enveloping the air during dry season.

Compounding to the problem of road woes and the difficulties faced by the commuters is the lack of co-ordination among the different departments at the time of taking up any developmental works.

It is also not an uncommon sight to see roads being dug up or barricaded without any prior notification/announcement.

All these so-called developmental works on the roads of Imphal give semblance of a city full of activities and always on the move.

But instead of going ahead we are only moving in the reverse direction. Imphal has not at all evolved as a Capital city.

In the light of the existing road conditions, to talk or hear of talking about Trans-Asian Highway (TAR) passing through Manipur or dreaming about reaping the fruits of Look East Policy sounds absurd, if not ridiculous.