A hazardous project

Every monsoon brings its share of natural fury, but in Nagaland, the rains now also expose something far worse-human folly driven by inefficiency. The havoc caused this year along the Chümoukedima–Jharnapani stretch of NH 29 is not simply an act of divine retribution. It is a man-made disaster, born of poor planning, shoddy execution, and the utter disregard by those entrusted with building the state’s most important highway. At the center of the storm lies the controversial four-lane road, a project that has dragged on for over a decade under the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL). Instead of progress, it has produced landslides, collapsed embankments, and half-built stretches that mock the very idea of infrastructure development. What was meant to be a lifeline has turned into a hazardous road. The fiasco at the Chathe river is a glaring example. To widen the road, engineers altered the course of the river, cut down the hillside and filled the area with loose earth. An embankment was hastily thrown together, with no respect for the natural flow of water. Predictably, the river struck back. First in 2023, and now with greater force when the embankment collapsed, washing away more than half the road. This was not a natural calamity- it was the direct result of unscientific, shortsighted decisions made in the name of “development.”What makes matters worse is that this supposed four-lane road appears little more than a widened two-lane masquerading as progress. Ten years on, it remains incomplete, mired in excuses-land disputes, agitations, poor workmanship, and bureaucratic apathy. Meanwhile, commuters risk their lives daily on dangerous diversions. The stretch from Purana Bazar to Piphema, is riddled with sudden diversions and absent signage, that makes driving dangerous for unsuspecting motorists. Many road mishaps occur on a regular basis along the route. This is not mere incompetence. It is criminal negligence. Public money has been poured into a project that delivers a less than half of what it is supposed to be. Accountability is nowhere to be found. NHIDCL and the contractors continue their work at a snail’s pace, shielded by a system that tolerates endless delays and substandard work. The government, both state and central, appears content to watch from the sidelines as citizens suffer. Nagaland’s topography is challenging, yes. However, difficult terrain cannot be an excuse for dangerous, poor engineering. Other hill states in India have built durable roads by respecting natural geography and employing scientific methods and completing the projects in time. Why then is Nagaland forced to settle for less? The truth is simple: this four-lane project has become a monument to inefficiency. It is a glaring indictment of how infrastructure is handled in- without vision, without accountability, and without respect for the people it is meant to serve. The people of Nagaland have been bearing all this for too long. Roads are not luxuries; they are lifelines. If NHIDCL and its contractors cannot deliver, they must be held accountable-legally, financially, and politically. Until then, every monsoon will not just bring rain, but also the bitter reminder that negligence and corruption have cost Nagaland its roads, its resources, and its safety.