Arunachal Rights Body Demands Better Roads and Flood Control in Chakma-Hajong Settlements

Itanagar: The Arunachal Pradesh State Human Rights Commission wants the state government to fix roads and stop flooding in Changlang district. The Commission toured Chakma and Hajong settlements in Diyun and Bordumsa on June 12 and 13 to inspect conditions. They found broken infrastructure hurting local trade.

Poor roads make the 33-kilometre trip from Namsai to Diyun take over an hour. This slows down commerce and stalls the annual Rs 50 crore areca nut trade in Diyun. The Commission noted that the presence of the 2nd Arunachal Pradesh India Reserve Battalion makes good roads vital. The report stated, "The Commission said road upgrades could provide benefits beyond economic growth."

The Dihing River ruins crops and washes away land every year. These floods force residents out of their homes. The APSHRC suggests using the North Eastern Council and the Central Government to fund permanent flood walls and river management projects.

Officials proposed expanding the Namsai-Diyun and Diyun-Miao road corridors. They want these routes added to the East-West Industrial Corridor plan. Better living conditions could also ease tensions over local demographic changes, according to the Commission.