Dibrugarh: A 110-metre stretch of the Khonsa–Lazu Road near the Post Office in Khonsa has been closed to vehicular traffic after the road caved in following heavy rainfall, disrupting connectivity to several villages and government establishments in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tirap district.
The affected road connects 16 villages under the Lazu Administrative Circle, including Tutnu Block villages, Lapnan, Kheti and Thinsa.
It also provides access to key locations such as the APSTS Bus Station, Assam Rifles Headquarters, CRPF Headquarters and Government Higher Secondary School, Khonsa.
Officials said the damaged section has become narrow and unstable due to erosion and subgrade failure, creating risks for commuters. The district administration has prohibited vehicle movement along the affected stretch.
APSTS bus services on the route are also expected to remain suspended until the road is restored and declared safe.
During an inspection, Executive Engineer of the Public Works Department (PWD), Er. Taro Jeram, said the damaged portion falls within a slow-sinking zone and has suffered major subgrade failure. He recommended declaring the area a “black spot” due to its recurring instability.
Jeram said that although annual maintenance works, including pavement repairs and parapet wall construction, have been carried out, repeated land subsidence has prevented a permanent solution.
He said long-term measures under consideration include pile foundation work or construction of an alternative road alignment.
He also advised residents living near the affected area to move to safer locations due to the risk of further land movement.
To reduce inconvenience, traffic has been diverted through Bank Colony and the Deputy Commissioner’s Office Complex in Khonsa.
The district administration has asked the public to avoid the damaged stretch near the Post Office and use the designated diversion routes until restoration work is completed and the road is declared safe.