Photo Courtesy: nenow
Imphal: The Zeme Students’ Organisation Manipur is demanding the immediate reconstruction of the road linking Tamenglong to the Tousem headquarters. This route serves as the primary lifeline for thousands of residents. It provides essential access to hospitals, banks, government offices, and schools. Recent neglect has turned the path into a dangerous, impassable trap.
Heavy monsoon rains transform the road into deep mud. Ambulances and passenger vehicles get stuck for hours or even overnight. Students traveling for exams and elderly residents suffer the most. Raninglung Newme, president of ZSOM, says the current state of the road creates unnecessary hardship. He noted that a trip typically taking three and a half hours now stretches indefinitely. "The Tamenglong-Tousem road has become a road only in name. It no longer serves the purpose for which it was constructed. Every journey has become a struggle for survival. It is unacceptable that, in this modern era, our people continue to endure such inhumane conditions simply because of poor road connectivity," Newme said.
Locals currently perform their own repairs using shovels, stones, gravel, and mud. These voluntary efforts prove the resilience of the community but highlight a failure in state infrastructure. Newme blasted the work done by executing firms Zandu Company and KCC Company as superficial and inadequate. He argues that occasional clearing and patchwork fail to offer a real solution.
ZSOM is calling on the Government of Manipur to provide funding and deploy qualified engineering teams immediately. The student body wants permanent reconstruction, not more temporary fixes. They are urging politicians and public leaders to set aside differences and prioritize this project. The organization vows to keep pressing authorities until the road is fully restored.
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