Community Efforts Honoured at Kohima Road Safety Awards
KOHIMA, FEBRUARY 16: The Kohima District Road Safety Committee (KDRSC) organised the second edition of the Kohima District Road Safety Award–2026 at the DPDB Hall on February 16, in commemoration of National Road Safety Month.
MLA and Chairman, DPDB Kohima, Kevipodi Sophie, in his award presentation address, said that traffic congestion and improper parking cannot be addressed by authorities alone and require collective responsibility from the public. He appreciated the organisations for supporting the administration in ensuring smoother traffic flow and expressed hope that the spirit of cooperation would continue for the betterment of the district.
Deputy Commissioner and Ex-Officio Chairman, KDRSC, B. Henok Buchem, said the five awardees were selected after careful consideration from among many deserving groups. He stated that village councils and youth organisations had silently borne hardships during landslides and extended full cooperation to the administration, helping ease congestion and maintain public movement.
He acknowledged that traffic regulation remains a continuing challenge and stressed the need for cooperation from village councils, colony authorities, youth organisations, and citizens. The DC added that the administration will strengthen transport regulations and introduce further measures in the coming months. He also appealed to citizens to follow traffic rules and avoid random parking and obstruction of public roads, stating that “Kohima belongs to each one of us.”
Earlier, the programme was chaired by EAC Kohima Sadar, Dr. Riku Khutso, who welcomed the members and awardees present. Citations were read out by RTO and Ex-Officio Member Secretary, KDRSC, Roben Mesen.
The awardees included Upper Jail Colony Panchayat, Jotsoma Youth Organisation, Kezoma Village Council, Naga Bazaar Youth Organisation, and personnel of the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC).
Upper Jail Colony Panchayat was recognised for regulating roadside parking from Jail Colony junction to Assamese Church junction, leading to improved traffic flow.
Jotsoma Youth Organisation was honoured for assisting the administration and the public during landslides along NH-29 and for managing traffic diversion through the Jotsoma Bypass Road during the last monsoon season.
Kezoma Village Council was acknowledged for cooperation during the diversion of heavy vehicular traffic through its jurisdiction.
Naga Bazaar Youth Organisation was cited for parking management and installation of barricades along the NHAK junction to Census Point route.
Personnel of the ICCC were recognised for their dedicated service towards improving traffic management in Kohima town.
The award, instituted to recognise individuals, groups, organisations, and departments contributing towards road safety, carries a cash prize of Rs. 10,000 along with a citation.
The programme concluded with the presentation of awards to the recipients. (Molungnenla, IA Kohima)
