Kohima, July 9 (EMN): Bad news for travellers as the National Highway 29 near Peducha got completely cut off early Sunday morning.
Following the complete cut off which reportedly happened at around 2 am this morning, not even a single vehicle could pass through today. The major landslide, which now appeared almost like a river, has extended to a stretch covering 50 yards, if not more.
Ever since the landslide occurred on May 14 earlier this year, light vehicles have been forced to ply the alternate route via Peducha, Tsiesema for Kohima-bound vehicles and the other route via Sechü Zubza, Kiruphema and Peducha for Dimapur-bound vehicles.
As for the heavy trucks travelling to Kohima and Imphal, earlier they were made to pass through with the aid of excavators. However, with the road being entirely cut off now, there is no chance of passing through even with the support of excavators.
One volunteer from Kiruphema Youth Organisation informed that the heavy vehicles have queued up for over a stretch of 3 km and beyond. Sadly, the heavy vehicles in the queue will have to wait for days and months till the day the road is repaired and made fully functional.
The deputy commissioner of Kohima Rajesh Soundararajan along with a team of engineers including the general manager of National Highways Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) Arun Gupta and engineers from the state PWD (National Highways), led by chief engineer Temsu Aier inspected the landslide-affected section this afternoon.
Talking to Eastern Mirror, NHIDCL general manager Arun Gupta said that fresh cutting for a new route began today just above the landslide portion with the hope to give an alternate passage until the old road is made functional.
He informed that the fresh cutting for the new passage will take about 10-12 days if the weather condition is good. However, the work completion is likely to go beyond the mentioned period as heavy downpour is expected in the next couple of days too.
It was also reported that a good portion of paddy fields belonging to 10 owners of Kiruphema village have been destroyed by the major landslide. As reported, the sinking mud have almost reached Dzüdza river which lies below Peducha village.
Sources informed that the road condition worsened on Saturday. However, it was reported that a good number of oil tankers could pass through last night. As for the rest of the vehicles, it all depends on when the new route will be completed.
Due to incessant rain for the last few days, the stretch of National Highway 29 at Kiruphema (Mile Stone 163) has completely been washed off.
In this connection, Senior Superintendent of Police, Kohima, has notified that only light vehicles will be allowed to proceed towards Dimapur from Kohima via Zubza road. All light vehicles coming from Dimapur and proceeding towards Kohima and beyond will be diverted towards Peducha-Tsiesema road. No vehicle coming from Dimapur will be allowed towards Kohima via Zubza road.
Plying of all heavy vehicles on NH 29 to and fro Kohima and Dimapur will be restricted till the washed off stretch/section of the highway is restored, it informed.
