Tadubi-Ukhrul road closed
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Our Correspondent
SENAPATI, Jul 22 : The Lower Phaibung (Chukhreimai) Village Authority Council announced the closure of the diversion road of NH-102A (Tadubi–Ukhrul Road) from July 15 citing non-maintenance and safety concerns for all commuters.
According to a statement, the diversion road was provided by the Lower Phaibung Village Authority as an alternative route after a major landslide completely cut off the existing highway below the village on May 31 and June 1. More than 300 feet of road stretch was affected by the landslides during the last bout of torrential rain.
With no alternative route available, the Village Authority Council permitted the diversion road to pass through the middle of the village ground, the Upper Primary School, and the village Baptist Church.
The press release asserted that the diversion road passing through the only school in the village has posed risks to students’ safety due to the slippery condition of the road. Students no longer have a proper space to conduct school assembly as half of the compound was converted into the diversion road.
The landslide also affected residents on top of the hill, where landowners refused to clear the landslide debris for fear of further damage in the future.
The press release noted that the new road cutting was undertaken by NHIDCL in 2024. It was reportedly cut more than 15 feet deeper than the previously proposed alignment.
About 70 to 80 vehicles—including local taxis travelling to and from Dimapur, Nagaland, private vehicles, and occasionally six-wheelers carrying essential commodities—used to ply along the route daily.
Notably, NHIDCL, construction project managers, and the Village Authority had earlier agreed to construct retaining walls to prevent landslides before the onset of the monsoon. However, the delay in execution allegedly led to the unfortunate landslide. Villagers also claimed they had asked NHIDCL to fetch “misary” (stone pebbles) from the village river, about 3 km away, to reinforce the new diversion road until the landslide debris was cleared. However, no action has been taken up so far.
According to the Village Chairman, he met with the concerned Deputy Commissioner to seek an amicable solution to allow daily passage.
In the absence of a viable alternative, travel along the diversion road through the middle of the village was restricted for safety reasons.
On three separate occasions, the villagers issued notices in Hills Hornbill Express, a local daily, stating that the diversion road passing through the village playground, Upper Primary School, and Baptist Church was closed to all, including villagers, until a new alternative route was made. However, no action has been taken as per sources received from the villagers.
It is worth mentioning that the new cutting on the existing NH-102A resulted in a massive landslide, which damaged several houses. The landowners’ demand for compensation for damage to their houses was reportedly denied by the district administration and NHIDCL, according to sources from the villagers.
In a bid to find a solution, the Village Authority Council has urged the district administration and NHIDCL to compensate the affected landowners and clear the existing highway or lay stone pebbles along the diversion road at Lower Phaibung—from the starting point to the highway—to make it motorable and prevent further vehicle accidents.
Several accidents have already occurred on the said diversion road during the month of June, reports said.
SENAPATI, Jul 22 : The Lower Phaibung (Chukhreimai) Village Authority Council announced the closure of the diversion road of NH-102A (Tadubi–Ukhrul Road) from July 15 citing non-maintenance and safety concerns for all commuters.
According to a statement, the diversion road was provided by the Lower Phaibung Village Authority as an alternative route after a major landslide completely cut off the existing highway below the village on May 31 and June 1. More than 300 feet of road stretch was affected by the landslides during the last bout of torrential rain.
With no alternative route available, the Village Authority Council permitted the diversion road to pass through the middle of the village ground, the Upper Primary School, and the village Baptist Church.
The press release asserted that the diversion road passing through the only school in the village has posed risks to students’ safety due to the slippery condition of the road. Students no longer have a proper space to conduct school assembly as half of the compound was converted into the diversion road.
The landslide also affected residents on top of the hill, where landowners refused to clear the landslide debris for fear of further damage in the future.
The press release noted that the new road cutting was undertaken by NHIDCL in 2024. It was reportedly cut more than 15 feet deeper than the previously proposed alignment.
About 70 to 80 vehicles—including local taxis travelling to and from Dimapur, Nagaland, private vehicles, and occasionally six-wheelers carrying essential commodities—used to ply along the route daily.
Notably, NHIDCL, construction project managers, and the Village Authority had earlier agreed to construct retaining walls to prevent landslides before the onset of the monsoon. However, the delay in execution allegedly led to the unfortunate landslide. Villagers also claimed they had asked NHIDCL to fetch “misary” (stone pebbles) from the village river, about 3 km away, to reinforce the new diversion road until the landslide debris was cleared. However, no action has been taken up so far.
According to the Village Chairman, he met with the concerned Deputy Commissioner to seek an amicable solution to allow daily passage.
In the absence of a viable alternative, travel along the diversion road through the middle of the village was restricted for safety reasons.
On three separate occasions, the villagers issued notices in Hills Hornbill Express, a local daily, stating that the diversion road passing through the village playground, Upper Primary School, and Baptist Church was closed to all, including villagers, until a new alternative route was made. However, no action has been taken as per sources received from the villagers.
It is worth mentioning that the new cutting on the existing NH-102A resulted in a massive landslide, which damaged several houses. The landowners’ demand for compensation for damage to their houses was reportedly denied by the district administration and NHIDCL, according to sources from the villagers.
In a bid to find a solution, the Village Authority Council has urged the district administration and NHIDCL to compensate the affected landowners and clear the existing highway or lay stone pebbles along the diversion road at Lower Phaibung—from the starting point to the highway—to make it motorable and prevent further vehicle accidents.
Several accidents have already occurred on the said diversion road during the month of June, reports said.