P.Longang Leo Konyak
Wrangling over the implementation of NH-702 by Longchang Village Council and Aboi area NGOs, I called upon all the rational beings to reason together and rationalize the trend of the NH-702 which was originally proposed to connect from Longleng to Namsa Foot Hills Road via Aboi, Mon and Tizit as two lanes National High Ways road for public interest, Road and transport convenience. I have already raised this matter in several Konyak Union (KU) meeting occasions in order to sorted out amicably the issue of Via and Tri-junction of these two NH-702 and NH-703. At the outset let us see the Government of India policy during the UPA regime under the Common Minimum Program, Ministry of Road Transport and High Ways that, every District HQ in the country must be connected with two lanes High Ways road and it was announced in the year 2013 and published in the national and local news papers. An initial and original proposed DPR alignment and distance of these two NHs was as follow: The NH-702 should be linked from Longleng to Namsa (Namtula) Foot Hills road via Aboi, Mon and Tizit and distance is more than 100 KMs and the NH-703 must be connected from Tuensang to Aboi via Tobu, Angjangyang and Longchang and the distance is just above 100 KMs connecting to NH-702 of Longleng to Namsa (Namtula)via Aboi, Mon and Tizit and Aboi ADC HQ became Tri-Junction of the NH-703 and NH-702. Surprisingly, when the Ministry of Road Transport & High Ways, Morths, New Delhi “NIT” for Consultancy Services which appeared in Nagaland post in 2015 twisting an original Alignment by indicating; NH-702 from Longleng to Namsa/Namtula via Longchang, Aboi, Mon and Tizit and NH-703 from Tueansang to Aboi via Tobu. And this messy has been created by the PWD National HighWays departmental Engineer DPR In-charge without knowing the every geographical and topographical condition and without taken the consent of the public and this has been done reason best known to him. For this matter I would like to highlights some of the points to be viewed and reason it before it is too late. The proposed NH-703 from Tuensang to Aboi via Tobu had touched and connected to Longchang village and its EAC HQ and NH-702 from Longleng second DPR also touched and passing through Longchang village and its EAC HQ. So, due to this unreasonable re-alignment in new DPR had created the duplicating road which means NH-703 of Tuensang to Aboi and NH-702 from Longleng to Namsa via Longchang, Aboi, Mon and Tizit are on the same track i.e some 30 Kms from Longchang to Aboi is appeared as duplicating road. If the NH-703 from Tuensang to Aboi did not touched or passed through Longchang then the Longchang Village Council insistent and demand for connecting from Longleng via Longchang is very genuine but the road which coming from Tuensang NH-703 had already touched to Longchang, then it is illogic to demand of NH-702 from Longleng via Longchang. Moreover, as per the NIT of Morths for Consultancy Services even though earlier road alignment was diverted from Longleng to Namsa via Longchang, Aboi, Mon and Tizit in DPR yet the tri-junction is still appeared as Aboi and if the Longchang village council demand has to be fulfilled then Longchang should be made as Tri-junction of NH-702 and NH-703 and the NH-703 should be replaced as Tuensang to Longchang via Tobu not as Tuensang to Aboi and its distance may be around 90 KMs plus. And in the midst of this controversy, another rumored has been came out that the proposed road of NH-703 from Tuensang to Aboi via Tobu is diverting, as Tuensang to Aboi via Sakchi and Longleng. It is our ample request to our Phom brothers to refrain from doing that diversion and new proposal must be made for National Highways connection from Tuensang to Longleng which is legitimate road and if this proposed NH-703 is diverted then the whole of upper range Konyaks shall face untold hardship and perish without proper road. It is obvious that National Highways of two lanes road shall automatically be connected between every District Head Quarter in the country as the Government of India Look East Policy of Vision 2020 had committed and reaffirmed by the present NDA Government of Act East Policy.
It is to note that, if diversion is done just to passing through Longchang village then the most victimized people shall be Mokokchung and Longleng Districts people and seven Assembly Constituencies of the Mon district because in the originally proposed road from Aboi to Longleng via Aopao and Sowa Changlee it takes only thirty five minutes to reach Longleng even in bad road condition but if it has to cross and pass through Longchang then it may take more than one and half an hour which means to reach Longleng from Aboi one shall take two hours a minimum. Moreover, passing through via Sowa and Longchang has high gradient for which it may be difficult to ply heavy load vehicle. In this matter, Longchang Village Council must reason reasonably and think it logically since the NH-703 from Tuensang is passing through Longchang and whole of Mokokchung, Longleng and 7 ACs of Mon districts must support to Aboi Area Student’s Union AASU and Konyak Union (KU) Aboi unit for common interest and public convenience. And the Chief Engineer PWD (NH) Division, Kohima, Nagaland is requested to co-operate with the public demand and direct the Consultancy Services firm to do the survey and prepare the DPR as per original and initial proposed project before the final float of tender for the speedy implementation of the National High Ways project in the state otherwise due to public tussle and petty urchin it will affect to smooth mobilization and within the time frame execution of the work.
