Changtongnya residents help themselves in restoring road

Residents of Changtongya town are seen during the road restoration work.

• DIMAPUR — In a remarkable show of unity and commitment, the Bridges Educational Foundation in Changtongya town under Mokokchung district successfully restored a 300-metre stretch of road that has been neglected for over 30 years.
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• The road connects several key sites in Changtongya town including government quarters, town cemetery and notably Bridges Academy itself—one of the oldest schools in the area.
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• The road restoration work was made possible with support from the parents of Bridges Academy. Notably, the work could be completed in a span of two days.

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• The headmaster of Bridges Academy, MC Moatemsu Longkumer, informed Eastern Mirror that the stretch had no road left leaving the students, teachers and parents equally tiring and frustrated to reach the school on a daily basis.
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• Established in the year 1978 and re-established in 2015, Bridges Academy was formerly known as Oriental School.
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• The headmaster said, the school, since its relocation in the year 1988, did not witness any road constructions leaving all commuters frustrated.
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• ‘Decades ago there was once a black topped road,’ rued Longkumer while sharing that despite several requests made to the government, no action has been taken.
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• Except for pothole fillings for the school goers, no major constructions were made in the particular area for over 30 years, he claimed.
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• After years of struggles, the headmaster informed that the parents came forward to help financially and physically.
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• With a little less than INR 1 lakh with contributions from parents, teachers, local residents and well wishers, the semi-finished 300 metre stretch road was completed, he informed.
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• Interestingly, the renovation works took just two days to complete with the active participation of parents both physically and financially just for the sake of their children’s ‘better travels’ to school.
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• The school has classes from Nursery to Class –X under NBSE. It has a total of 125 students and 28 teaching and non-teaching staff.
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• Longkumer shared that with the rain, the roads will soon be gone again. He, however, expressed hope that the government would not fail their endless requests.