A bird’s eye view of the North East Council road in Nagaland that lies forgotten today. (Morung Photo)
Lipichem
Meluri | January 2
Amidst swathes of scenic splendour, an 83 km road acts as the only road, lifeline and the only hope for around 24 villages spread over three areas with roughly 11,000 population under 20 Meluri A/C.
This road, popularly known as the North East Council (NEC) road, also connects Avakhung through Phokhungri EAC Hq. Despite its apparent significance, the NEC road has seen little to no maintenance or repair since its construction in 1991. The little work done on the road is only during the clearing of landslides once in a while.
With the road connecting the international trade centre of Avakhung, it is surprising to note that only a few kilometres stretch of the road has been metalled. 24 years since its construction, the NEC road seems to be forgotten. It takes courage to ply on this road as breakdowns are likely, and the nearest workshop is located at Meluri, some 119 km away. To compound the misery, the absence of network connectivity in almost the entire region adds salt to injury.
A good number of politicians, bureaucrats, concerned citizens and policy makers who have taken this road must have felt the pain of the people taking this road. Perhaps the natural beauty of the area – the freshness of Nazapfu mountain range and the beautiful Shilloi Lake – helps take the mind off the road condition.
Chairman of the Shilloi Lake Management Committee, Ashelo informed that this year alone the Shilloi Lake attracted more than 1000 visitors, out of which 825 visitors spent a night. He stated that if the road condition improves the number of visitors could double as the journey from Meluri would take about 3-4 hours compared to the 6-7 hours being taken now.
For citizens of the area, this is a salvation road and a focal centre. Despite the lack of maintenance, citizens depend on this road. Elders of the Phokhungri area recollect that the road conditions have also had fatal consequences.
They alleged that pregnant mothers and patients have lost their lives mid-way while going to the nearest health care centre for medical check-up. They added that in some cases the condition of the patients worsen on the way due to the bad road conditions.
Commenting on the impact of the road on the local economy, Chairman of Phokhungri Village, Paratsu, informed that seven Tata Mobiles and one mini truck ply regularly through the NEC road through Phokhungri. He stated that the carrying cost for 50 kg of BPL rice costs Rs. 200 to reach Phokhungri town, which is almost the cost of a bag of rice. Every month, around 200 bags are transported to the area.
It may also be mentioned that Phokhungri is also one of the oldest EAC Hq in Nagaland State, which was established in 1961. It is yet to be upgraded and remains poorly connected.
