Source: IFP
From Our Correspondent
IMPHAL, Aug 22: More than 8000 Chingai villagers in Manipur’s Ukhrul district have been facing ‘extreme hardships’ after the road connecting the district headquarter and state capital sunk at various places due to landslides following heavy downpours on Independence Day night.
“We’ve been facing extreme hardships after the Chingai-Kuingai route (16 kms) under Chingai sub-division sunk at various places since the Independence Day night(August 15),” Sinthar AS, General Secretary of Raphei Katamnao Long – a student body representing 44 villages under Chingai sub-divisional headquarter said.
Besides landslides blocking the route, a wooden bridge over Rondei river along the route which connects Tangkhul inhabited Chingai village, around 165 km north of Imphal under Ukhrul district with Kuingai, Chalou, New Tusom, Tusom CV and Tusom Khullen, Wahong, Poi and Huishu villages, had also been washed away in the rain disconnecting a population of more than 8000 villagers with the rest of the country since August 15.
“No emergency measure has been taken up so far even after the district administration has been appraised of the situation,” the student leader lamented. Now villagers are compelled to walk through the 16 km stretch of the route by foot to buy essential items from the district headquarters. Ashok Kumar, DC Ukhrul district couldn’t be contacted for his comments.
Meanwhile, around 300 out of 400 Manipur bound goods laden trucks stranded near Nagaland state capital following the cutting off of the NH-39 near Kohima for almost a week with mudslides near the Kohima Municipal Council dumping ground and another near Kisama village, arrived in Imphal with security escorts on Sunday evening.
“We managed to reach here after spending almost 12 days on the highway due to landslides and blockade,” Ajit, a trucker from Assam’s Bokajan vllage said while unloading the grocery items at Thangal bazar. “Though we came via Wokha road, many of our colleagues were still stranded at highways near Kohima.”
A Nagaland traffic policeman contacted on phone said only light vehicles are commuting through the by-Pass road from Jotsoma to Kohima. The Border Road Organisation (BRO) which has been exploring feasibility of realignment to make alternative arrangements for traffic which is expected to take upto a week, has deployed 12 tippers, three dozers, two JCBs, two road rollers and manpower for early rectification of the damages.