Kohima: Nagaland MP S. Supongmeren Jamir inspected major road projects along National Highway-29 on September 24. Accompanied by local officials, he reviewed sites from Patkai Bridge to Kiruphema and the slide zone at Phesama. Contractors must clear blocked drains and finish grass-cutting within 10 days.
National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) plans to build four bridges to fix recurring rockfalls at Tsiedukhru. "We are trying to send the preliminary part of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) to the Ministry within a week," officials stated. Once the Ministry approves, the team will start the tendering process.
Construction continues on three tunnel roads. One should finish by early December. Jamir demanded safe, smooth traffic before the 2026 Hornbill Festival. Officials from Chümoukedima and the Kohima district administration observed the site inspections.
Work at the Phesama landslide begins September 25 after completed soil testing. Crews will work from both ends of the site to speed up the process. NHIDCL expects the restoration to take one month. Revenue Officer Kevingoto Kulnu confirmed the district administration will meet with villagers on September 25 to help clear the way for workers.
Updated at 25th September 2026 at 1:49pm
Jamir slammed the project's snail-like pace, noting it has dragged on for 12 years despite an initial five-year timeline. He grilled officials on why topographical surveys failed to foresee the challenges and demanded they stop repeating past mistakes. The MP noted that no machinery had been active on the affected stretch for two months, fueling public frustration. He reminded NHIDCL that with only 73 kilometers of highway under their watch in the state, their performance here defines their reputation.
NHIDCL officials defended their approach by pointing to successes in difficult terrain elsewhere, such as the Lumding-Silchar railway project. They admitted that faulty DPRs plagued past efforts and claimed compensation for Phesama landowners has already been dispatched. To address the rockfalls at Tsiedukhru, they plan to build bridges over two years, while maintaining the existing road for traffic in the meantime.
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