Ahead of the Hornbill Festival, Nagaland government has asked the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL) and the NH (Nagaland PWD) to “put in extra effort” and get the key roads ready by October-end.

The 25th edition of the Hornbill Festival will be held from December 1 to 10.

The directive was passed on Wednesday at a meeting convened under the chairmanship of deputy chief minister TR Zeliang at the Secretariat to discuss issues relating to National Highways in the state.

In the meeting, the NHIDCL and NH (NPWD) have been directed to put in “extra effort and ensure” work on the ground “are expedited and completed by the end of October”.

Zeliang stressed on the “significance” of having a free and smooth traffic at the festival, especially on NH-29, where most of the tourists and dignitaries from abroad would be travelling, an official statement said.

The NH 29 connects Nagaland with Assam and Manipur and had suffered extensive damage recently due to rain-triggered landslides.

Earlier in the September 11 meeting, the NHIDCL and NH (NPWD) had expressed “reservation about completing the road within the timeframe as committed” citing “incessant rain which has marred the progress of the work”.

The deputy chief minister and Yhome categorically stated that “extension of deadline is beyond question and unacceptable as inflow of tourists and dignitaries are anticipated by mid-November”.