Kohima: The Gauhati High Court, Kohima Bench, has demanded immediate action from the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) and the Nagaland Public Works Department regarding the delayed construction of the Dimapur-Kohima National Highway. Justices Manish Choudhury and Yarenjungla Longkumer issued fresh directives on September 9 following a review of the ongoing road project.
Package I of the highway covers roughly 15 kilometers along the Tsiedukhru Range. NHIDCL reported that maintenance remains difficult due to heavy monsoon rains. A five-year contract was signed on August 31 with M/s Trinity Group to handle reconstruction on the four kilometers currently struggling with poor stability. The court ordered the contractor to be added as a party to the case and required NHIDCL to produce a month-by-month progress chart.
Regarding Package II, NHIDCL told the court that the original contractor ignored repeated notices. They submitted a new estimate on September 1 to finish the work at the risk and cost of the initial firm, with the court pushing for the tender process to wrap up this month. Package III remains at 90 percent completion. The court expects a final report on these works by October 7.
Slope protection efforts across all packages lag behind schedule. Although the Detailed Project Report was due by June 30, it remains unfinalized. The court ordered stakeholders to speed up the process and prepare for land acquisition. A rockfall incident on September 10 on the Tsiedukhru Range damaged a vehicle, though the driver escaped without injury.
Progress on the Lerie Welcome Gate to Jotsoma Bypass, managed by the state PWD, sits at only 54.18 percent. The Chief Engineer appeared in court to address the sluggish pace. The court noted that, as the Amicus Curiae pointed out, commuters have resorted to filling their own road hazards, stating that "commuting had become difficult and members of the public had attempted to fill some potholes themselves." Semp and Co, the contractor for this stretch, must patch all potholes by September 30. The court will hear the matter again on October 7.
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