Renovated lane divider in Dimapur damaged hours after completion

DIMAPUR — In yet another case of disregard for public property, a freshly renovated lane divider in Dimapur was damaged by reckless driving just nine hours after Team Better Dimapur painstakingly reconstructed it on September 5.

The destruction, which came to light on Saturday morning, underscores the challenges faced by community beautification efforts in the town, highlighting the impact of negligent driving on local infrastructure improvements.

President of Team Better Dimapur, Mhonjan Humtsoe, expressed frustration over repeated acts of vandalism affecting their beautification efforts under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).

The team was tasked by the Dimapur district administration with the concept to renovate and beautify the stretch from Tragopan Junction Khermahal to MH Hospital.

According to Humtsoe, this isn't an isolated incident as the team’s records show over 15 instances of similar damage, undermining their financial, physical, and emotional investment in beautifying Dimapur.

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He disclosed that approximately 15 feet of the newly rebuilt lane was destroyed by unidentified individuals, allegedly due to drunk driving, just nine hours after completion.

He stressed that Team Better Dimapur operates with limited funds and such incidents force the team to bear additional, unplanned expenses, which they've been absorbing repeatedly.

While lamenting what good or peace does one gets by vandalising and damaging public property, he urged everyone to respect the efforts of the team and treat public property as one’s own.

He appealed to the community to value and respect the team's work and advocated for a sense of ownership and care towards public spaces, akin to how one would treat their personal assets.

Further, on criticism about the team working on Sundays, Humtsoe explained that Sunday work is occasional and typically reserved for urgent tasks.

He pointed out that Sundays offer a traffic-free environment, making it logistically easier for the team to carry out their tasks efficiently.