KOHIMA — The deplorable condition of roads within Mon district headquarters has reached a critical point, significantly impacting residents, travellers, and the local economy.
Accidents, injuries, vehicle damage, and increased travel time are common, leading to economic losses and hindering access to essential services like healthcare and education.
Travellers and residents who spoke to Eastern Mirror shared their concerns and challenges with the pitiable road condition.
Sopei, a teacher who recently travelled to Mon town, painted a grim picture of the road infrastructure. While the road to Mon via Jorhat and Sonari is not in the best condition, he noted that it is significantly better than the roads within Mon district headquarters, particularly those leading towards Aboi.
As the district headquarters, one would expect the town to have decent roads; “it’s a sorry sight at the moment,” he added.
He also visited Aboi and pointed out that the road is in deplorable condition.
In contrast, he said that while the neighbouring state of Assam and other parts of the state are also grappling with bad roads, repair works are ongoing and there is hope for improvement.
However, in Mon town, it’s hard to imagine the roads improving any time soon, he maintained.
Sopei suggested that the government invest in more durable materials, as tarmac seems to wear off easily during the monsoon season. Concrete roads are one option, though potentially expensive. Plastic roads are another alternative, and while Nagaland has already experimented with them, their viability remains unclear, he added.
The Mon Area Student Union (MASU) highlighted the dangerous condition of roads in Mon town, stating that it poses a constant threat to the safety of both passengers and pedestrians. This decades-long issue of deplorable road conditions is particularly challenging for students, especially during monsoon seasons when roads become treacherous and muddy, it said.
During the rainy season, the road becomes like a river, and with the start of the dry season, it turns into a dustbowl, creating a hostile environment for pedestrians. The poor road conditions have also caused inflation, as prices of essential goods and services have increased, it maintained.
MASU, as a pressure group, confirmed that they have written to the district administration and the relevant department for immediate road repairs.
Meanwhile, students and drivers also shared their daily struggles navigating the damaged roads.
Easter, a Class 12 student at Government Higher Secondary School, Mon, shared that the poor road conditions significantly impact daily commutes and travel.
“We often get frustrated and it takes time to reach our institution because of the poor road condition. The potholes and cracks cause vehicles to jerk and jolt, leading to increased travel time,” she said.
Nokom, a two-wheeler taxi driver, said that there are many potholes and that it is very difficult to drive. His motorcycle suffered significant damage in just five years due to the constant jarring. Besides that, the relentless jolting has also taken a toll on his physical health, causing back pain.
During rainy days, it is very difficult to ride a motorcycle with passengers because it becomes slippery. Moreover, there is no proper drainage, and all the water flows along the road and eventually turns into a river during the rainy season, he added.
A resident of Mon town, Chandan Thakur, also noted the lack of a proper drainage system. There are also multiple potholes and cracks everywhere on the road, besides the landslides that block the roads occasionally, he said, suggesting that drainage systems should be constructed and the roads should be paved with durable materials.
Further, he said that both the government and the public are to blame for the pitiable road condition. “The government needs to take timely action for developmental projects at the same time public need to be more vigilant towards the construction of roads,” he said.
Sharing his perspective on the issue, Pannyei, a taxi driver who has been driving for 19 years, said he does not have any expectations about seeing changes. “From the time I started driving till date, there have been no changes,” he maintained.
The taxi driver blamed the government for the poor road conditions and criticised the Public Works Department (PWD) for its negligence in road construction and maintenance.
“The roads in the town keep getting worse every year because the government is not fulfilling its duties. Even among the public, no one will take a stand against this,” he asserted.
He also pointed out the issue of multiple taxations in the region. Any development work or road construction project is accompanied by the imposition of multiple taxes levied by various factions, hindering the progress of such works, he said.
Furthermore, Phongya M Konyak, an educator, highlighted the challenges of travelling outside the district, forcing residents to rely on routes through Assam, which presents its own set of difficulties, especially when there are bandhs, border issues, etc., with the neighbouring state.
“It has been many years since the construction of highways of Mon district to reach Dimapur, Kohima and other districts of Nagaland began, but still, the construction is yet to be finished,” she said.
She added that students studying at Fazl Ali College (Mokokchung) and Nagaland University (Lumami, Zunheboto) face perilous journeys when travelling on the Wakching road. The high risk of accidents on this route poses a serious threat to the lives of both students and the general public.
(The writer is a Journalism and Mass Communication student at Nagaland University, Lumami. He is currently an intern at Eastern Mirror)