Heavy rainfall in the last few days has created havoc in the Itanagar Capital Region. On Wednesday morning four people were killed and three others were seriously injured when the boundary wall of the central workshop of the Arunachal Pradesh State Transport Services (STS) collapsed in Karsingsa due to heavy rain. Also, NH 415 was blocked at several locations due to landslides. The report of road blockages was also received from districts like Kurung Kumey and Kra Daadi. The unseasonal heavy rain has caught everyone by surprise.
This rain has badly exposed the failure of the administration in checking illegal earth-cutting. In places like Hollongi, Chimpu and Lekhi, several stretches of the highway were blocked and heavily damaged due to illegal earth-cutting near the highway. The irresponsible behaviour of such people caused immense trouble to the citizens, who were stuck for hours due to the blockages. Further, it causes massive damage to the public infrastructure. Not only the highways, but even the rural roads get damaged due to illegal earth-cutting. This is a teething problem and everyone, including the administration is aware of it. But no one gets punished for it, which emboldens such people. It is time that the government became harsh on these people who damage public infrastructure, in particular national and state highways, by carrying out illegal earth-cutting. They need to be punished for such crimes.