Church-led volunteer effort restores the Longchem–Saring Road, a vital trade link between Nagaland and Assam, while raising questions over years of official neglect.

Kohima, July 18: After waiting nearly eight years for the Nagaland government to repair the crucial Longchem–Saring Road, residents of the Japukong Range have taken matters into their own hands.

The Japukong Arogo Toklang Tenzuker (JATT), the area’s church council, mobilised funds through voluntary contributions from churches across the range and organised church members as volunteers to repair pothole-ridden stretches of the road. Using stone boulders and broken bricks, the volunteers restored several damaged sections, making the road safer and more navigable.

The Longchem–Saring Road serves as a vital link between Nagaland and Assam and is a key transport corridor for the movement of goods. It is considered the economic lifeline of the Japukong area and supports trade and business activities in Mokokchung district.

The community-led effort has drawn praise for demonstrating unity and collective responsibility. However, it has also renewed questions over the government’s failure to maintain critical infrastructure despite repeated appeals over the past eight years.

“Community service is important, but it should complement governance, not replace it,” said one of the organisers, Tsukti Imchen Naga. “The people have done their part. It is now time for the authorities to fulfil their responsibility and ensure permanent repairs and regular maintenance of this vital road.”

Residents said the initiative highlights both the resilience of local communities and the urgent need for sustained government intervention to restore essential road connectivity in the region.