Imp-Ukl road via Lamlang Gate in pathetic state

Our Correspondent
MOIRANG/UKHRUL, Oct 14 : The old Imphal-Ukhrul road via Lamlang Gate is in a pathetic condition due to negligence of successive Govern- ments for decades.
The deteriorating condition of the road has caused immense hardships to the people of many villages along the road, locals of Lamlang village said.
Now called the "Old Road", it was once a State Highway (No 8) which is "miles shorter" than the present Imphal-Ukhrul road.
While being used as an alternative route to Ukhrul town, the road has been neglected by the Governments since the 1980s.
If properly developed, the road may serve as an alternate route which will reduce the travel time to Ukhrul by almost half, said Lamlang village headman, LA Phungnang.
While the condition of the road is deteriorating, a recent landslide on August 28 blocked the route between Lamlang Gate and New Heaven (Shokvao) village. Then, the debris was removed and the connection was restored within two weeks by contractor, Asung Ram, said the headman.
At present, about an 11-kilometre section of the road is badly damaged. Describing the hardships people of the region are facing due to the deteriorating conditions of the road, the village headman sought the attention of the Government to improve road connectivity.
He urged the Government to reconstruct and blacktop the section of the road between Lamlang Gate and New Heaven (Shokvao Village). He further appealed to the Chief Minister to resume Manipur State Transport's bus service in the region and bring infrastructure development in the villages along the route.