This Week The Northeast: A new role model,64 years on

Dr Talemeren Ao,Nagalands last representative at the Olympics,was a remarkable player who led independent Indias first football team to London in 1948

A new role model,64 years on

Dr Talemeren Ao,Nagalands last representative at the Olympics,was a remarkable player who led independent Indias first football team to London in 1948,but most Nagas had forgotten the stories woven around how the team hit media headlines by playing barefoot and winning at least one match. This time,with the Olympics back in London and ace archer Chekrovolu Swuro in the team,she has become not just a household name but a role model for Naga girls. All of Nagaland is now praying that the 1982-born policewoman,the first individual Naga Olympic player,would bring home a medal. The Naga Mothers Association has asked CM Neiphiu Rio to promote her to the rank of a DySP.

Oxygen for Shillong

Shillong,which the British used to call the Scotland of the East,has found hope of living up to that description. A 47km bypass from NH44,lingering for over two decades,has finally been given a date for completion. With about 60 per cent of the work done,NHAI has fixed January 2014 as the target date by which it should become operational. Shillong will finally be delivered of hundreds of trucks that pass through the city; the pine city can hope to breathe once again the fresh oxygen that it used to be famous for. NH 44 is not just a lifeline for Tripura,Mizoram and southern Assam but also vital to Manipur,with NH39 through Nagaland often remaining blocked.

Death count,by cause

Mizoram is looking at causes of death with hard statistics in hand. This week,the states economics and statistics department came out with data on which disease has claimed how many lives in the hill state. Of the 5,942 deaths (in 2009) in the state,cancer alone claimed 683,followed by malaria with 552. Asthma and bronchitis have not lagged much behind either,taking 527 lives that year,followed by pneumonia with 203. Other common diseases that have caused deaths in the state include heart diseases,meningitis,tuberculosis,jaundice,typhoid,liver diseases and diabetes. Road accidents too claimed 87 lives,and this despite the fact that people of Mizoram have a reputation for safe driving.

Power-packed

Tripuras dream of setting up a gas-based power plant has finally become a reality. With the first phase of the 726.6MW Palatana power plant set up by ONGC-Tripura Power Corporation (OTPC) completed,gas flow to the plant began on Tuesday through a 53km trunk pipeline charging the plant with natural gas from Gabardi in Sipahijala district. Designed to cater to the power needs of four Northeastern states Assam,Mizoram,Meghalaya and Manipur the Palatana power plant is one of the most prestigious ventures in the entire region with an investment of about Rs 9,000 crore,which is the highest ever in Tripura.