Shangkai: Residents of Shangkai village have strongly refuted allegations that they intentionally dug up a section of National Highway-202 (NH-202) to disrupt connectivity, asserting that the excavation was undertaken solely to address an urgent environmental threat caused by ongoing highway construction activities.
According to the villagers, a construction agency engaged by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) had deposited a large volume of excavated earth along the highway corridor, blocking a natural stream that functions as a vital drainage channel for the area.
The villagers alleged that repeated appeals were made to the construction company to remove the debris and restore the waterway. However, they claimed that no corrective action was taken despite the growing risk posed by the obstruction.
With the monsoon season setting in, residents feared that the blocked stream could trigger severe flooding, threatening nearby homes, farmlands, and public infrastructure. Faced with what they described as an imminent danger, villagers said they took temporary measures to reopen the drainage path and allow the natural flow of water.
“The excavation was not intended to damage the highway or cut off transportation links. It was a necessary step to prevent a potentially disastrous flood situation after our concerns went unaddressed,” local residents stated.
The clarification follows widespread reports and allegations suggesting that villagers had deliberately excavated a portion of NH-202, resulting in the disruption of traffic and isolation of the region.
Meanwhile, sources familiar with the matter indicated that the construction company attributed delays in maintenance and restoration work to the prevailing law-and-order challenges and the ongoing ethnic tensions affecting parts of the region.
Sources further informed that repair and restoration work on the affected stretch of NH-202 was expected to be completed on Saturday, while personnel from the district police remained deployed to monitor the situation and ensure smooth movement along the highway.
The incident has drawn attention to the fragile state of connectivity along the strategic highway linking remote hill districts. However, Shangkai villagers maintain that their actions were driven by concerns over public safety and flood prevention, rather than any intention to block the highway or sever access to the region.
