Unable to wait for govt., truckers repair road

Mokokchung, July 29 : An organization, the Mokokchung District Trucks Owners’ Association (MDTOA), has taken upon itself the task of repairing the deplorable Mariani-Mokokchung road.

Each monsoon season brings a terrible experience for vehicles and passengers that use the pathetic road. The problem is especially so for passenger buses, and commercials trucks carrying essential goods to the districts of Mokokchung, Tuensang and Zunheboto.
On Friday, the organization called in machineries to repair a patch of the road. Today’s initiative by the MDTOA saw the efforts of fifty of its members. The work found the support of the village councils of Chungtia village and Khensa village, the president of the MDTOA Sentilemba said.

He explained that the association will be repairing ‘the main pockets’ of sunken land. New columns of land donated by the villages in concern along the road would be cut, he said. Also, he expressed gratitude to Chungtia village for donating land and providing more than 50 volunteers to assist. The MDTOA also hired 20 non-local laborers to lay stones. Earlier, Aliba, Chungtia and Khensa village repaired the road out of own means. Even Changki villagers repaired the road falling under their jurisdiction a few months ago. Incessant monsoon rains and heavy traffic ensured that their charity was short-lived though.

The MDTOA members asserted that they were repairing the road not only for the sake of truckers but for other motorists too who travel on this important stretch of road. The truckers strongly lamented the ‘apathy’ of the state and central governments to the road.