Court grants NHIDCL 3 weeks to submit restoration proposal for NH-2 collapse

• KOHIMA — The Kohima Bench of Gauhati High Court has granted the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (NHIDCL) three weeks to submit a proposal for restoring the collapsed stretch of National Highway 2 near the Kisama exit gate.
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• The direction came during the hearing of a suo moto Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on Wednesday, where NHIDCL’s counsel informed the bench that an expert panel is being formed to assess and recommend restoration measures for the washed-out section, spanning approximately 100 metres (Chainage No. 191+950 to 192+0.50) under Phesama village.

A section of National Highway-2 near Kisama which collapsed following heavy rainfall. (EM Images)

• In their affidavit filed on Wednesday, NHIDCL stated that 56.25% of the total work had been completed. Blacktopping with Dense Bituminous Macadam (DBM) was done over most of the Wet Mix Macadam (WMM) layer, except for two spots totalling about 300 metres, which could not be completed due to early monsoon rains.
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• “However, the complete stretch is motorable in good traffic worthy condition.”
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• Citing rainfall data from the Kohima Meteorological Observatory, it highlighted that persistent unseasonal rainfall further delayed the work. It said that rainfall was recorded on five days in March, 12 days in April, and 21 days in May, affecting bituminous works not only on the days with rain but also for 1-2 consecutive days as works cannot be carried out during unfavourable weather conditions and damp road conditions.

Also read: Nagaland-Manipur lifeline severed as NH-2 collapses near Kisama

• It further submitted that the subsidence near Kisama exit gate “has been triggered due to heavy rainfall in the region amalgamated with series of post-impact tremors of earthquake reported in wee hours of 28.05.2025 that shook the north-eastern parts of India, including Nagaland.”
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• The bench—comprising Justices Kakheto Sema and Yarenjungla Longkumer— accepted the request for additional time and directed NHIDCL to submit the expert committee’s proposal in the form of an affidavit in three weeks.
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• The matter has been listed for the next hearing accordingly.