Kohima might be the centre of Nagaland’s government enterprise, but its roads tell a different tale of governance. With the President of India geared to visit and take some of the disabling routes that connect Kohima city, and the city to other districts, work to touch some of them up has been promised to begin. For instance, news of the Pezielietsie –Keyake road stretch via Don Bosco Higher Secondary, Ziekezou, being repaired has arrived.

The Kohima Village Youth Organisation (KVYO) met Border Roads Task Force (BRTF) officials on October 14 to take up the repair of the road. Over the past 10 years KVYO has reportedly sent a number of written requests to the BRTF, by whom the road is maintained, to repair the damaged route but has been met with a standard response: the lack of funds. Though an old road, connecting Kohima to Phek and Kiphire, it has not been repaired for 10 years now. In that time, the KVYO has widened the road through private means though it could not be ‘black topped’.

Now, some government funds have been made available. While ‘metalling’ of the road will not be possible, according to BRTF officials, due to “no sanction of funds for the same,” the BRTF has promised to “cover up the bad patches with a mixture of stones and soil as soon as possible.”

The news of the repair works has brought some relief from the daily grime for people who have to regularly take this essential route, which includes students of Kohima College, Don Bosco Higher Secondary school, TM Govt. High School and Christ King School in addition to employees of the Department of Youth Resources and Sports.

“It is funny the road has been left unattended for so many years and now with news of the President taking this route, the BRTF is finally paying attention to it,” said a resident of Ziekezou colony, who wished not to be named. “We do not know whose fault the deplorable road condition is but we are happy that the road will be repaired after a long period.”

Another resident commented, “I regularly ply on this route to go to work; my vehicle has to be repaired every three months due to the bad road condition. I dread this road but am left with no choice,” adding, “It is like driving on a river bed; at times I feel like I am participating in an off-road event.”  Officials of the KVYO, meanwhile, have appealed to the State Government to look into the matter, stating that they would also send appeal letters to other authorities concerned regarding the issue.