Kohima, Feb. 10 (EMN): The Chakhroma Public Organisation (CPO) has expressed dismay at the closure road stretch between Chathe River Bridge (Patkai Bridge) and Khuokhi River Bridge (Kukidolong) along the National Highway-29.
The organisation, through a statement, reminded the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) that “public is losing its patience on closure of the road”.
CPO claimed that it had written several times to the NHIDCL for proper surveillance of works carried out by the contractors at the particular affected stretch of road but it didn’t pay heed to public outcry.
“The rockslide/landslides caused by the construction company is never a natural disaster or for that matter they cannot blame the landscape or the formation of soil or rocks in the whole stretch of the highway. Knowing all these they have accepted the works on agreement.
“Therefore, they are supposed to employ qualified and experienced engineers to handle the job and also to have sufficient machineries for the work. They are bound to provide safe passage to the commuters at any cause. Unless it is a natural disaster, they have no right to close the road because of their mishandling of the work,” read the statement.
The organisation said that the authorities should take action against the contractors as per the law if they are “creating any mishap to the commuters” , instead of “shielding them and act at the contractor’s request”.
It went on to say that the road blockage which started on February 2 has caused “untold miseries to the citizens of New Chümoukedima up to Piphema/Tsiepama” and appealed to the district administration to immediately open the road “before the public completely loses its patience”.
‘The school children of classes 10, 11 and 12 whose board exams are just at the doorsteps cannot attend classes in Chümoukedima for the last seven-eight days; patients to be operated at CHC Medziphema are being postponed because doctors are finding difficult to come from Dimapur; serious patients cannot be transported to Dimapur and beyond; and essential commodities are charged at exorbitant rates,’ it stated.