EMN
KOHIMA, OCTOBER 22
In the wake of frequent road accidents occurring along national highway-29 in Kohima, the New Market Area Panchayat of Kohima has urged the district administration to enforce precautionary measures and traffic rules for those plying on the road. In a letter to the deputy commissioner of Kohima on Wednesday, the panchayat stated that more than ten motor accidents have occurred and three lives lost on separate incidents ever since the opening of the “box-cutting road” last year. Properties have also been damaged within a short span of time, the local authority stated.
The panchayat expressed concern that the road diversion in question was ‘in a very precarious position as the entire stretch is a steep slope and the vehicles plying on the stretch pose a grave danger to daily commuters which include students, office-goers, traders, residents and buildings/houses adjacent to the highway as they regularly use this road as their main communication passage.’
Expressing apprehension that the rate of motor accidents could likely increase, the Panchayat sought appropriate precautionary measures to monitor the movement of vehicles including trucks coming from Manipur. The panchayat has sought adoption of systematic regulations and enforcement of traffic rules.
The panchayat also put forward several suggestions such as restriction on heavy vehicles (busses, trucks etc.) to ply on the diversion; construction/erection of traffic control or duty point at the junction of the roads connecting the highways; restriction of vehicles coming from the Naga hospital side to enter from the lower end of the road and a ‘No Entry’ signboard to be put up there.
