Split responsibility, funding crunch leave Dimapur roads in ruin

DIMAPUR — Dimapur’s roads continue to be a source of frustration for residents and businesses. Despite its status as Nagaland’s commercial hub, the city struggles with a network of potholed and dilapidated roads.

Responsibility for this road network is divided between three government entities: the National Highways division under the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), the state Public Works Department (PWD), and the Urban Development Department—each facing its own set of challenges in addressing the issue.

Limited by funding

Urban roads connecting most of the localities within Dimapur town were previously under PWD (Roads & Bridges), but now they have been handed over to the Urban Engineering Wing, Directorate of Urban Development, after a joint physical verification.

Currently, the Urban Development department manages 201.5 km of roads within Dimapur, with 162.5 km falling under Dimapur Municipality and 39.1 km under East Dimapur. However, since assuming responsibility in 2020, the department has struggled to improve the road network due to limited funds.

Theruovituo Pienyü, Executive Engineer-II of the Urban Engineering Wing, explained to Eastern Mirror that “workflow perfection cannot be achieved because of limited funds.” Since the allocated funds are insufficient for new construction, the department is reportedly left with no choice but to undertake only repair work, which is temporary and lasts for barely a season.

“With the limited budget that is allocated to us, we try to focus primarily on repairing heavily congested commercial areas like Clock Tower, Church Road, MP Road, Nagarjan Road, Tajen Ao Road, etc.,” said officials in Pienyü’s team. They opined that a comprehensive road project with proper planning is needed for the overall improvement of the road network in Dimapur.

Of all the major roads within the Dimapur area, Tajen Ao Road is presently in deplorable condition; the full stretch requires a major facelift. The officials said that the department has repaired the stretch “numerous times,” however, “no matter how much resource we spend, with the onset of the monsoon season every year, the road condition deteriorates even more.”

The situation is worsened by heavy vehicles that often use Tajen Ao Road as an alternative to the parallel National Highway 36 to avoid traffic congestion and bypass NH-36’s restricted entry times for trucks in the main town area.

Describing this road as one of the “worst stretches” that is beyond repair, the officials expressed concern that the road’s base has deteriorated to the point where simple repairs alone will not suffice. While the department plans to repair major roads, some projects, including work on Tajen Ao Road, are currently delayed due to the ongoing road over bridge (ROB) construction near DDSC Stadium at Tragopan-Golaghat road junction.

Urban Development now covers roads including Tajen Ao Road, Clock Tower to Tragopan Junction, Nagarjan Road, Supermarket Road, Walford, Burma Camp, colony roads at Oriental Colony, PWD Colony, Lake View Colony, roads towards the old Naga cemetery, etc., but the department does not own any machinery and is facing shortage of workforce.

“Since the NH from Khatkhati/Lahorijan Gate towards Dillai Gate/St. John via Blue Hill Station, Rail gate, Marwari Patti, Dhobinalla/GS Road, PWD & DC Court is in a very bad shape, all the heavy vehicles crossing through the two states are plying on the urban roads due to which we are facing difficulties for the maintenance of the road, especially from Tragopan to Khermahal Jn, Clock Tower, Tajen Ao road/Duncan till DC Court,” the officials added.

Though funds for construction and maintenance come from both state and central governments, they are not allocated immediately at the time of proposal, they said, urging the public to cooperate and bear with the process.

Additionally, the department appealed to Dimapur residents to help maintain roads and drainage systems and urged citizens not to dispose of solid waste in drains, as this causes blockages and leads to water overflowing onto roads, accelerating their deterioration. It also requested that business owners ensure weep holes—small openings that allow water to drain from behind retaining walls and curbs—are not blocked during the construction or repair of aprons (the paved areas in front of shops) and footpaths, as obstructing these drainage systems exacerbates road damage and flooding.

PWD (R&B): Stretched thin

Responsible for approximately 300 km of roads in the district, stretching to Thilixu gate and East Dimapur, the Executive Engineer of PWD (R&B), Z Inahoto Sema told this newspaper that the available funds are inadequate for both routine maintenance and new construction projects.

The department relies heavily on Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) for major undertakings, such as the ongoing Model Village upgrade at 7th Mile under Chümoukedima, supported by the North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS). However, even with this external funding, the department struggles to keep up with the demands of maintaining such a vast network. The incessant rain and extended monsoon season have further exacerbated the situation, creating a backlog of necessary maintenance work.

Several stretches, including the road from Thilixu gate to Thahekhu gate, are currently undergoing repairs. Pothole repairs have also reportedly commenced on the stretch from Thahekhu gate to Dhobinalla, although this section is still under the Defect Liability Period (DLP). 

The executive engineer also shared that the severely affected Tajen Ao Road—now transferred to Urban Development—was resurfaced in the year 2019.

Furthermore, with only a single backhoe loader at its disposal, the department relies on assistance from the mechanical department or hires equipment from private contractors for any kind of construction work, he said.

Sema also emphasised that until and unless citizens are more responsible and “own each road like their own,” the government alone cannot bring much change. “Without responsibility, nothing can be disciplined,” he added.

Slow progress on highways

The ongoing work on NH-36, an important route for Dimapur, has been a source of particular concern. Deputy Chief Minister TR Zeliang, who holds the portfolio for National Highways, recently addressed queries regarding the project’s progress. He confirmed that he had directed the chief engineer to inspect the ongoing work and stated that a notice would be issued if the work was deemed unsatisfactory.

Zeliang also warned that new contractors would be brought in if the current contractor failed to meet the project schedule. Regarding a requested Extension of Time (EOT) for the project, he clarified that only the ministry has the authority to grant such extensions.

He made these comments during a press conference following his four-day tour to assess National Highway conditions in five districts across the state.

Meanwhile, Akumdong Walling, SDO (NH), stated in a telephonic conversation that work on the controversial 6.8 km stretch of NH-36 starting from Dillai Gate has resumed after being stalled due to clearance issues. He said that the existing blacktopped surface would be retouched upon completion and that contractors have been instructed to expedite the work.

Progress is also being made on the road over bridge (ROB) near DDSC Stadium, which commenced on October 1 and is currently 45-50% complete, with an expected completion time of three months, he said.

The NH-29 route, spanning 17.3 km from the New Field Check Post, with 7.3 km to the Dimapur Airport junction and 10 km to the Patkai Bridge, Chümoukedima, also falls under the NH division.