Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Tuesday inspected the landslide-affected section of National Highway 2 at Phesama and commended the ongoing restoration work. He noted that the state’s hilly, landslide-prone terrain demands more than temporary repairs and called for innovative engineering approaches to ensure long-term resilience.

Rio described national highways as the “lifelines of a nation” and affirmed that the state government is coordinating closely with the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd and other implementing agencies to fast-track the damaged stretch’s reopening. He urged the use of concrete bridges, reinforced piling, and other permanent measures rather than stopgap fixes that fail with each monsoon cycle.

Highlighting that landslides have plagued the area for decades, the Chief Minister stressed the urgent need for a full-specification bypass or alternate alignment capable of handling heavy truck traffic without overburdening village roads. “This is not a one-time issue; landslides have been disrupting our major roads since our childhood,” he remarked, underscoring the importance of a sustainable solution to prevent repeated disruptions.