EMN
Phek, September 8
People living in the areas of Chozuba in Phek district have asked the district’s administration to intervene and take immediate action in mitigating the difficulties being caused by heavy landslides in Surhoba village. More than a dozen villages in the area are understood to be have been affected by the landslide and have been struggling for the past 5 months.
An organization called the Chozuba Range Wrestling Association issued a press release on Tuesday, September 8, expressing ‘anguish over the disconnection of Chozuba to Phek road for the last 5 months following the massive landslides at Surhoba village.’
According to the statement, the areas making up Chozuba consists of at least 16 “villages including towns” and are connected to the district’s headquarters i.e., Phek, by Chozuba via Runguzu-Thuvopisu-Surhoba. The road has a distance of 37 kilometers and takes one and a-half hour journey to reach the district headquarters, the organization said.
“…the road got disconnected 5 months back following the massive landslides at Surhoba village creating intolerable problems to the people of the area. The public leaders of the area while communicating and meeting the concerned department and district administration for the timely initiative of clearing the road on several occasions did not pay heed to the public plead (sic) …” the group stated.
On behalf of the affected people of the area, the organization has appealed to the district’s administration to intervene and direct the department in concern to ‘take immediate action for the larger interest of the general public.’
If the authorities fail to act promptly, the statement added, the “CRWA would even demand for the shifting of the district head quarter.”
PWD clarifies
The establishment of the Executive Engineer of the Public Works Department (Roads & Bridges) has issued a statement offering clarifications and updates about the situation. In “consultation” with the district administration, the PWD “had worked for the clearance of the said road blockade with machineries with its utmost efforts,” the department explained.
However, the engineer clarified that because the landslides were “caused under unexpected natural calamity which compels the department to cease its work due to the heavy rain causing continuous falls of mud, it has to kept on halt till the rainy season is over.”
The statement has appealed to the members of the public to take the Ketsapo road “which is motorable (sic) and was under maintenance by the department.”
The engineer stated further that the Phughi-Mutsale-Phek road was “also motorable”. The department has urged travelers and commuters to use the stated alternative roads. Urging upon the public to bear with the inconveniences, the PWD has assured “fullest cooperation for the interest of the general public.”
