By Lamphrang Nongspung
Nongsder: The perennial problem faced by the people of Nongkwai village near Pynursla over transportation of their goods, especially essential commodities, has been resolved with the inauguration of a goods ropeway service from Nongsder to Nongkwai on Wednesday.
The ropeway project, implemented by a Himachal Pradesh based firm, has been constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 13.7 lakh funded under the State Plan.
The project was supposed to be inaugurated by Border Areas Development (BAD) Minister Prestone Tynsong but he had to depute local MDC Jansing Tynsong to inaugurate to service since he was preoccupied. The inauguration of the ropeway service has come as a blessing for the villagers of Nongkwai who have been facing lots of difficulties in transporting goods from their village which is not connected with any motorable road.
The village Dorbar had submitted several representations to the Government since the time of former Chief Minister late BB Lyngdoh to connect the village with a motorable road, but the difficult terrain prevented construction of roads.
The villagers, who normally walk at least three hours to reach the nearest road, have to pay heavy labour charge of Rs 150 for a 50 kg sack of rice from the nearest motorable road to the village.
The villagers were also facing great difficulty in bringing their agricultural produce to the nearest market at Pynursla.
The inauguration of the ropeway service would now solve the problems faced by the people, the villagers said on Wednesday.
Addressing the inaugural function, Director of the department of Border Areas Development, RM Kurbah, said that the inauguration of this goods ropeway service would definitely provide major relief to the villagers since it would bring down the transportation cost of the essential commodities.
“I am told that an amount of Rs 40 would be charge for transportation of each consignment. This amount is relatively low compared to the amount which the villagers are currently paying to labourers,” Kurbah said.
She urged the Ropeway Transport Cooperative Society (RTCS) who would be operating this project to take special care in maintenance of the ropeway.
Informing that a similar project was sanctioned in 1997, Kurbah said that the project lasted only two years after it was commissioned due to the poor maintenance.
“I hope that the same thing is not repeated in this project. The Government has given you this project and you should learn how to take care of it,” she told the villagers.
According to her, the RTCS and the village Dorbar have to take care of the running cost and maintenance of the ropeway service for the next three years.
“The Government would examine the feasibility of taking over the project after the period of three years,” Kurbah said.
Meanwhile, RTCS president Marpher Nongrum said that the main reason for the failure of the earlier ropeway project was that wrong people had been engaged to operate the service.
“We have taken special precaution while recruiting people to operate the ropeways this time. I am confident that this project would not be a failure,” Nongrum said.