A landslide has left a section of National Highway-2 (NH-2) at Dzüphileiyi in Phesama village cut off for more than two months, causing serious disruption to the movement of commuters, students, villagers and other travellers.
The prolonged road blockage has also affected transportation and local trade. Taxi fares have reportedly increased, while the prices of some essential commodities have also gone up.
Although officials from the government and the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) have inspected the affected stretch several times, local residents said there has been little visible progress in clearing the landslide debris.
Speaking to the Nagaland Post, Southern Angami Public Organisation president Tepul Hopovi said NHIDCL officials had informed the organisation that a temporary solution would be implemented for the time being, while a permanent solution would be taken up after the monsoon.
Hopovi said the prolonged disruption had caused considerable hardship and affected transportation across the area. Several civil society organisations have been urging the authorities to find an early solution, he said, and called for immediate action.
Phesama village chairman Toulie Seleyi described NH-2 as one of the oldest national highways and said the condition of the road was a matter of “national prestige.”
He stressed that the highway was important not only for the Southern Angami area but also for connectivity between Nagaland and neighbouring Manipur. He further noted that the road serves as an international highway.
According to Seleyi, the affected stretch has witnessed landslides almost every year for the past eight years. He urged the central government to find a permanent solution to the recurring problem and called on the state government to treat the issue as a priority.
Seleyi also alleged that repair works were often taken up only when the Hornbill Festival approached and pressure increased on the authorities.
He pointed out that the alternative route currently being used was originally constructed to provide access to quarries and was never designed to function as a major alternative road.
Phesama youth president Ketounei-o Zashümo said local youths, along with traffic personnel, had been helping to regulate traffic at the affected site and manually maintaining portions of the road.
He said specific timings had been fixed for goods carriers to regulate the movement of traffic. However, some drivers were reportedly not following the schedule, leading to further congestion.
