Umskun village may be at the heart of Ri-Bhoi and 2km from National Highway 6 but local villagers are facing hardships in terms of road transportation as the existing road that connects them to the outside world has not been tarmaced.
This kutcha road is not only unable to bear heavy vehicular loads but is also difficult for villagers to travel on as it turns muddy and slippery during the monsoon.
Speaking to this reporter, Stephan Kshiar, local headman said that the village dorbar has been fighting from time to time to get the road blacktopped but to no avail.
“Our plea was not heeded by the concerned authorities,” he said, adding that children have to take off their shoes when walking on the road in the monsoon in order not to get them too dirty by the time they reach school.
Umskun is a village of just 60 households where the population of around 320 depends on agriculture. Unfortunately, these farmers find it almost impossible to transport their produce to market because of the poor road condition.
