Village authority closes NH-102A diversion road
Source: Chronicle News Service

Senapati, July 22 2025: The Lower Phaibung (Chukhreimai) Village Authority Council, in a press statement on Tuesday, announced the closure of the NH-102A (Tadubi-Ukhrul Road) diversion road, citing non-maintenance and safety concerns for all commuters.

The diversion road had been facilitated by the Lower Phaibung Village Authority as an alternative route after a major landslide on May 31 and June 1 completely blocked the existing highway below the village.

More than 300 feet of the road was affected by landslides triggered by torrential rains.

Village authority closes NH-102A diversion road

With no alternative route available, the Village Authority Council permitted the diversion road to pass through the middle of the village ground, the Upper Primary School, and the village Baptist Church.

However, the road - passing through the only school in the village - posed risks to students' safety due to slippery condition.

Students no longer had adequate space for school assemblies, as half the compound had been converted into the diversion road.

The landslide also affected residents atop the hill, where landowners refused to clear the debris for fear of further damage.

It may be noted that the new road cutting, undertaken by NHIDCL in 2024, excavated more than 15 feet deeper than the originally proposed alignment.

Previously, around 70 to 80 vehicles - including local taxis travelling to and from Dimapur, Nagaland, private vehicles, and occasional six-wheelers carrying essential commodities - used the route daily.

However, due to numerous accidents caused by slippery conditions on the diversion road, villagers decided to halt its use entirely for the safety of both travellers and residents.

According to the villagers, NHIDCL, the construction project managers, and the Village Authority had earlier agreed to construct retaining walls to prevent landslides before the monsoon.

However, the delay in execution allegedly led to the landslide.

Villagers also claimed they had requested NHIDCL to collect stone pebbles from the river, approximately 3 km away from the village, to reinforce the diversion road until the landslide was cleared.

However, no action has been taken so far.

The village chairman stated that he had met the deputy commissioner to seek an amicable solution to maintain daily passage.

In the absence of a viable alternative, travel along the diversion road through the village has been restricted for safety reasons.

Villagers are demanding that the highway - blocked for nearly two months - be cleared, and that affected families be adequately compensated.

Alternatively, they insist the diversion road be reinforced with stone pebbles until the new cutting is cleared.

The Village chairman added that villagers have spent sleepless nights whenever vehicles get stuck in the mud.

When a JCB excavator from the construction company is called, it allegedly worsens the situation by digging deeper while attempting to extricate stuck vehicles.

On three separate occasions, villagers issued notices in Hills Hornbill Express, a local daily, declaring the diversion road closed to all, including villagers, until a new alternative is established.

However, no action has been taken, according to sources.

The Village Authority Council has appealed to the construction company and district administration to resolve the issue with affected landowners and reopen the highway.

Despite repeated requests to lay pebbles on the diversion road, the company and NHIDCL have allegedly ignored the pleas, leaving the road unmotorable during rains.

It is worth noting that the new cutting on NH-102A triggered a massive landslide, damaging several houses.

Villagers report that land owners' demands for compensation were denied by the district administration and NHIDCL.

In a bid to resolve the issue, the district administration and NHIDCL are urged to compensate affected landowners and either clear the existing highway or lay stone pebbles along the diversion road at Lower Phaibung - from the starting point to the highway - to make it motorable and prevent further accidents.

Reports indicate several accidents have already occurred on the diversion road in June.