Landslide cuts off border villages of Kamjong

Mungchan Zimik
UKHRUL, Jul 16 : Over 11 villages in Raizan under Kamjong district have been cut off from the rest of the district following a massive landslide near the 8 Assam Rifles outpost recently.
The 50-metre wide landslide in the second week of July has cut off the Ram-phoi-Thana Border road, halting vehicular movement and transportation of essential commodities to the extreme border villages.
Huimin Thana, Pheikok, Sangalok, Skipe and Pilong are some of the extreme villages that have been completely cutoff for at least a week.
A joint team of Raizan Long, Raizan Traders Association, Ramphoi Village Authority and Ukhrul media personnel inspected the border road and visited the landslide-hit site to take stock of the ground situation today.
The headman of Ramphoi village, Shimdhar  Kamodang said that the border road that has been hit was constructed by the Bharatia Infra Projects Limited (BIPL) and funded by the NEC.
The construction began in 2019, but it was abandoned after the present Manipur crisis broke out in 2023 without constructing the drainage system, protection/retaining wall and culvert etc, said the headman.
The headman said that the villagers were maintaining the road and clearing the landslide debris.
A member of the Raizan Traders Association (RTA), Pharipam Shithung said that the 32 km long stretch is a vital road connecting Raizan villages with Kamjong DHQs. It further goes up to the nearest Myanmar village via Sangalok village, Pharipam said.
All the essential commodities, livestock, timber and emergency services go through this route, Pharipam added.
Cutoff from the rest of the district,  the border villagers are facing acute shortage of essential commodities and emergency services.
The villagers, with the help of excavators provided by Assam Rifles have started clearing the debris to restore connectivity.
Pharipam said the Raizan Long has approached the SDO, DC, MD of the BIPL and even the Chief Engineer PWD multiple times with requests to complete the road construction work and for proper maintenance.
Despite repeated appeals, the authorities have not acted to complete and maintain the road, Pharipam added.
There are also multiple vulnerable areas along the road. Some portions of the road have sunk and are waterlogged. The stretch between Kamjong and Huimin Thana is also in a pathetic condition, Pharipam said.
"We are urging the authorities concerned to resume the road construction work within one week and complete the drainage system, breast wall, culverts, and clearance of the debris. If our appeal is not heard and we are deprived of the rights to have an all weather road, then the Raizan villages will launch intense democratic agitation," Pharipam added.