PRI leaders and villagers of Giba circle in Upper Subansiri district have expressed strong resentment over the government’s alleged inaction to restore road communication. The area has been severely affected by incessant rainfall over the past few months, resulting in multiple landslides along the PMGSY road from Giba to Lingdam. Over 22 villages in the circle, with a combined population of over 5,000, have remained cut off from the rest of the district for months.
This has led to an acute shortage of essential commodities, forcing villagers to carry food and daily necessities on their backs from distant towns, causing immense hardship. ZPM Mayum Dobin, who led a team of PRI leaders in conducting an on-the-spot assessment of the damaged roads, said that he had repeatedly apprised the government of the hardships faced by the residents, but no concrete action has been taken so far. The PRI leaders had urged the government to arrange helicopter sorties for air-dropping essential commodities to the affected villages during the emergency, but to no avail.
The area is also facing a long-pending issue of irregular electricity supply, despite the implementation of various centrally sponsored rural electrification schemes across the country. The ZPM proposed the establishment of a mini hydropower project in Giba circle, citing the area’s abundant water resources and suitable geographical conditions for generating electricity, but the proposal was rejected by the state government. The PRI leaders and villagers have appealed to the government to treat the situation as a matter of urgency and immediately restore the damaged roads, provide reliable electricity connectivity, and take concrete measures to address the long-pending developmental issues of Giba circle.
They said that continued neglect of the region would further aggravate the hardships faced by thousands of residents living in the remote area.
