Dilapidated Tamenglong road condition perturbs people
Source: The Sangai Express

Kangpoki, August 02 2014 : The 66-km Imphal-Tamenglong road, which passes many tribal villages in the hilly Twilang area dominated mainly by Kuki, Naga and Nepali commu-nities, is now in a deplorable condition.

A continual problem every year, there seems to be no exception this year too though widening of the road has been done and some portions black topped recently but damaged within a short span of time which clearly signified poor quality maintenance by the contractors.

With the onset of the monsoon, IT road scores miserable stature with driving on the dug up, slippery and muddy road leaving commuters and transporters exhausted and the unmistakable potholes giving them back-breaking rides.

Infuriated by the deplorable condition, Chongpi, a passenger said that a ride at this pathetic road in any passenger vehicle available automatically makes anybody fuming and fretting.

A pitiful sight of Imphal-Tamenglong

Interestingly, the road passes four different constituencies- Kangpokpi, Saitu- Gamphajol, Tadubi and Tamenglong with more than 80 villages.

A hysterical passenger vehicle driver Paogin Kipgen said that any inescapable accident could happen within a blink which can cause untold suffering to many innocent commuters in this muddy, slippery road.

Covered with mud from head to toe, a class IV student of Thonglang Akutpa UJB School Nabin among many other students returning home from school said, "We went to school neat and clean in the morning but on the way we get totally muddy since no other alternative road is available for us to reach our school road" .

IT Road Transport Welfare Association and Twilang Area Kuki Chief Association also voiced their concern over the sorry state of the road while drawing the attention of the authority concerned.

P David Kipgen, Secretary of the transport association lamented that complaint over the deplorable road from drivers and passengers reached the association everyday while adding that on spot inquiry it has been found that the road in fact has become a threat to many innocent commuters and motorists.

Chairman of the transport association Khupthang while cautioning the Govt to bear responsibility for any untoward incident, accused the Govt and authority concerned of truning a blind eye to the growing misery of the public.

Meanwhile Sehkho Kip-gen, Secretary of Twilang Area Kuki Chief Association said that poor road condition not only causes inconvenience to road users but also affected all sections of people starting from from school going children to farmers and ailing persons in particular and the general public in one way or the other since the road is the only means of transportation in the area.

A visibly thin black topped portion of the road developed countless potholes within a short span of time after the work has been finished, pointed out a resident of Songpekjang Nepali Basti.

A Nepali farmer from 10 Miles Nepali Basti and a farmer from Maohing Kuki village said that it is the season of potatoes which have been exported to many other parts of the State but such road are denying the farmers the access to markets resulting in exploitation by middlemen and unscrupulous traders.

An inconsequential delay in marketing during its climax season amount to heavy loss in terms of money and energy added another visibly vexed farmer while calling for a smooth means of transportation, he added.

Though the area produces a good numbers of agriculture product sought in most part of the state, it has not improved the economic condition of the area, with poor road being one of the main bottlenecks in their growth asserted Sehkho Kipgen, Secretary of the Twilang Area Kuki Chief Association.

Most of the villages including Thonglang, Irang Nepali Basti, T Waichong, Kotlen, Selsi, Gelnal, Chalwa, Chawangkining, Makui, Tamei, etc of the Twilang Area have been engaged in potato farming.

This is one of their sources of livelihood since many decades back.

IT Road Transport Welfare Association Chairman Khupthang further asserted that the poor condition of the road and the problem gets aggravated during monsoons when large sections of the road get damaged easily.

"The reason is obvious: collusion between corrupt officials and contractors" asserted ITRTWA Chief while adding that yet no action is ever taken against the guilty.

The association strongly recommended that criminal cases should be filed against the responsible officials in case of deaths or injuries caused by the bad road Khupthang added.

Mentioned may be made that, earlier KSO Sadar Hills urged the Govt and concerned department to released full section amount for construction of the road to the concern contractors while urging the responsible contractors to maintain quality and have the work done before monsoon.