While the stretch from Kangpokpi town to Chawangkining is navigable, the stretch from Chawangkining to Thonglang Akutpa almost becomes unmotorable and hard to travel.
TFM Kangpokpi Representative
Around 75 villages of various communities dwelling in the Twilang area along the state’s oldest and highest highway Imphal-Tamenglong road battles the dreaded pandemic COVID-19 with a deplorable road filled with potholes and miserable medical infrastructure.
Since the past many years, for the people of the Twilang area, it has become an annual practice facing untold misery owing to the ghoulish road condition particularly during monsoon season despite the area hosting four elected MLAs from Tadubi, Tamei, Kangpokpi, and Saitu assembly constituencies.
Forget about the past many years, the condition of the road has become more worrisome during this health crisis since almost all medical-related cases are emergencies while the road is completely not suitable and fit to serve such emergencies.
While the stretch from Kangpokpi town to Chawangkining is navigable, the stretch from Chawangkining to Thonglang Akutpa almost becomes unmotorable and hard to navigate.
Not only the people residing in the areas, but doctors and nurses posted at T Waichong PHC and mobile team of COVID vaccination also had a hard time traveling along the road.
Recently, during a mass vaccination drive at 9 Miles Poudel Basti, local MLA of 50-Kangpokpi AC Nemcha Kipgen accompanied by Sangathan Mantri BJP Manipur Pradesh, Abhay Kumar Giri traveled along the road to inspect and interact with the people about vaccination.
KSO Twilang Block president Enock Kipgen taking the opportunity of the presence of the MLA and Sangathan Mantri highlighted the grievances of the people owing to the deplorable road and miserable health infrastructure in the area.
He said that the people of the Twilang area need only two things, all seasonal roads and proper health infrastructure while adding that recently the local MLA of Kangpokpi AC Nemcha Kipgen had sanctioned one ambulance which is yet to be delivered.
One doctor on condition of anonymity told media persons that owing to the bad road condition sometimes we could not reach the vaccination site on time, while we used to have body ache all over the body at night as and when we traveled to Twilang area.
The Imphal-Tamenglong road was renovated a few years back but owing to the absence of proper drainage it has been crumbling very soon which is the failure of the concerned contractors.
Considering the pathetic condition of the road, 38 Assam Rifles under the aegis of 22 Sector AR/IGAR(E) come forward to the rescue of Twilang area people and medical personnel during this health crisis by repairing at their capacity some worse portion of the road to make easier for the people and medical personnel on duty traveling along the road.
The Assam Rifles personnel took the initiative in absence of any government assistance to repair the damaged Imphal-Tamenglong road connecting the rural parts of Kangpokpi district to the mainland and further maintaining a freeway to Tamei and Tamenglong.
The local residents of Thonglang Akutpa and Thonglang Atongba joined the security forces leaving behind their farm jobs to change the fate of several villages in the hinterland taking motive from the Assam Rifles initiative.
If not other times, the government needs to look into the matter and initiate immediate remedial measures for the people of Twilang at least during this unprecedented health crisis by providing required health infrastructure and repairing the road.
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