Calls for slope protection and round-the-clock monitoring
DIMAPUR, AUG 1 (NPN): Angami Students’ Union (ASU) has urged the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) and executing agencies to immediately implement proactive safety measures on landslide-prone road stretches, warning that relying solely on post-disaster clearance operations was no longer acceptable.
In a press release, ASU vice president Zhovito Rikha and general secretary Rajuselie Chucha expressed concern over recurring landslips, mudslides and rockfalls along critical highways within Angami jurisdiction following the onset of the monsoon.
The union said the affected road corridors were vital lifelines for local communities, supporting commerce while serving as key routes for thousands of students travelling daily to educational institutions. ASU warned that continued deterioration of these stretches posed the risk of complete road blockages, endangering lives, disrupting academic activities and affecting livelihoods.
Acknowledging the importance of ongoing infrastructure development, ASU, however, maintained that public safety must remain the foremost priority.
The union called upon National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited to undertake comprehensive slope stabilisation, install protective rockfall nets, ensure continuous monitoring of vulnerable stretches and maintain round-the-clock emergency response preparedness to guarantee safe and uninterrupted travel.
ASU expressed hope that NHIDCL would treat the matter with urgency and take effective preventive measures before any major tragedy occurs during the current monsoon season.