Shangkai Villagers Refute Highway Sabotage Allegation, Cite Monsoon Flood Threat for Digging NH-202 Stretch

Amid allegations that residents of Shangkai village deliberately dug out a portion of National Highway-202, effectively severing connectivity to the region, the villagers clarify that the action was necessitated by an urgent environmental and safety concern caused by road construction activities.

According to the villagers, a construction agency engaged under the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) had dumped a massive quantity of excavated soil near the highway, obstructing a natural stream that serves as a crucial drainage channel in the area.

The villagers alleged that despite repeated requests to the construction company to clear the accumulated debris, no remedial measures were undertaken. With the onset of the monsoon season, they said, the blocked stream posed an imminent threat of flooding and damage to nearby habitations and agricultural land.

"Due to the continued inaction of the construction company, the villagers were compelled to take corrective measures themselves to allow the natural flow of water and prevent a larger disaster," the locals said.

The clarification comes in the wake of widespread allegations that villagers had intentionally dug up a section of NH-202, disrupting traffic and cutting off the region from the rest of the state.

Meanwhile, sources familiar with the matter said the construction company had maintained that work in the area could not be carried out regularly owing to the prevailing law-and-order situation and the ongoing ethnic conflict in parts of the region.

Sources further informed that restoration work on the affected stretch of the highway was expected to be completed on today, while personnel from the Ukhrul district police were closely monitoring the situation to ensure smooth movement and prevent any escalation.

The incident had triggered concerns over connectivity along the strategic highway corridor linking remote hill districts. However, villagers insist that the excavation was a temporary measure aimed at averting a potential flood crisis rather than an attempt to block the highway or isolate the region.