The NH 29 between Dimapur and Kohima remained cut off for the second day following a major landslide at the Kohima Municipal Council old dumping site on Sunday.
The National Highway 29 connects Nagaland’s commercial hub Dimapur with the capital town Kohima and also serves as a lifeline to several districts of the state and neighbouring Manipur.
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The Kohima district administration said light vehicles are being rerouted via Jotsoma Bypass Road.
However, there was no option for heavy vehicles at the moment.
Also read: Massive landslides block NH-29 in Nagaland
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After the highway was cut off, a large number of heavy vehicles, including trucks carrying essential goods to Manipur, were stranded on both sides of the affected area.
Chief engineer of National Highways, Kezha Theunuo said the landslide occurred in two locations along the stretch of the highway between 172.5 km to 173 km.
He said though the top part of the affected area has been cleared, the road formation below the area has been completely washed away by the landslide and the restoration would take time.
Theunuo added that the only option was to undertake a fresh cutting.
It was learnt that a new alignment of the road will be required on the site and officials have called the landowners for assessment.
Until the time the area is widened, vehicular passage will not be possible.
The executive engineer of state PWD National Highways division, Vikeshe Yepthomi, along with Kohima deputy commissioner Gregory Thejawelie and other officials inspected the affected area.
Thejawelie said the authorities had checked the viability of Peducha-Tsiesema road but found it ‘not fit’ for heavy vehicles to ply.
Underscoring the need to reopen the highway within the shortest time possible, the officials have directed the department concerned to put in as much machinery as possible and complete the re-alignment or widening of the road at the earliest.
Reports of landslides have also come from several other places in the capital town.
Landslides cutting off vehicular passage and causing damage to fields and property were also reported in different parts of the state over the weekend owing to torrential rains.
On Saturday, four members of a family were reported to have been injured after a huge chunk of mudslide crashed into their house at Bayavü colony in Kohima.
A private vehicle belonging to a pastor was also damaged by the landslide, District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) personnel said.
On Sunday, normal vehicular flow in Kohima town was badly affected after a landslide blocked the main road below SKV petrol pump.
Road traffic had to be diverted to smaller alternative roads around the town till the debris could be cleared completely in the evening.
Several areas on the highway towards the southern part of the town at Lerie area were also said to be affected by mudslides. However, they were reported to have been cleared.