‘Model village’ let down by bad roads

NONGSTOIN: Once tagged the “model village” of Nongstoin – Nongpyndeng – a village which houses a number of premier institutes of learning, does not have the roads to live up to its distinction.
The village today has unfortunately one of the worst roads, characterised by crater-like potholes and devoid of proper footpaths and drainage.
Taking up the issue following several complaints from students and residents of Mawkhlam Nongpyndeng village, representatives of the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) on Tuesday met the executive engineer of PWD (roads) and called for immediate repair of roads in the village.
Humert Marwein, general secretary of the KSU’s Nongpyndeng unit told reporters that local residents and students studying in institutions have to live with the menace of bad roads throughout the year.
During summer, the roads become muddy creating inconvenience for students walking along the roads to attend school. During winter, the roads become dusty.
The village has institutes such as Nongstoin College, Sibsing Memorial Government Higher Secondary School, Jawaharlal Novodaya Vidyalaya (JNV), District Institute for Education and Training (DIET) besides several secondary, upper primary and lower primary schools.
Hubert said the road that leads to these institutions has over 3,000 people walking or commuting in vehicles. Worse still, with such a large number of people walking to and from the village every day, the road does not have a proper footpath for the pedestrians.
The KSU leader said that the roads that need immediate repair in Mawkhlam Nongpyndeng are the stretches from Wahriat to NDSA playground, from Presbyterian church to JNV junction and from Mawtynrong to Siejlieh village.
K.C.Nongrum, the executive engineer of PWD (Roads) assured the union that he would take up the matter and repair the road immediately, particularly the stretch from Wahriat to NDSA playground.