NH-29 condition gone from bad to worse, Gauhati High Court told

DIMAPUR — Commuters and residents along the Dimapur–Kohima stretch of National Highway 29 continue to face mounting risks as landslides, road sinking, and delayed works disrupt traffic and endanger lives, the Kohima Bench of the Gauhati High Court was told on Wednesday.

During the hearing of a suo motu public interest litigation (PIL) regarding the NH-29 Dimapur–Kohima four-lane project, Senior Counsel and Amicus Curiae Taka Masa highlighted a recent massive landslide on September 14, which brought traffic to a complete halt for a substantial period.

He further told the court that overall, the conditions on NH-29 “have gone from bad to worse”, citing repeated incidents and the slow pace of remedial works.

The hearing, before Justices Manish Choudhury and Yarenjungla Longkumer, also saw participation from representatives of the Nagaland government, NHIDCL, and contractors responsible for highway maintenance.

Chainage 126 – Riverbank widening

The court revisited the stretch at Tsiedukhru Range, previously known as Pagala Pahar, where the widening of the riverbank and the relocation of Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) pipelines remained pending.

Also read: Landslides choke NH-29 again, alternative routes hit

The Deputy Commissioner, Chümoukedima, had filed an affidavit on August 12 addressing three issues: land acquisition and compensation, relocation of PHED pipelines, and the May 30 incident that claimed a life.

The affidavit stated that the land, owned by the department of Tourism and PHED, had been surveyed and assessed, and compensation disbursed, with receipts submitted as proof. The PHED pipelines are to be relocated simultaneously with rock-cutting operations, for which NHIDCL has obtained clearance.

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The court also noted that an ex gratia payment of INR 4 lakh has been sanctioned for the next of kin of the deceased, whose death occurred when a rock fell from a hill at the site on May 30, 2025.

During the hearing, the NHIDCL Authority Engineer told the court that the land parcels had been handed over, the tender process for riverbank widening concluded, and work is expected to start in October 2025 with a four-month completion period. Pipeline relocation will proceed at the same time.

Chainage 164

With regard to Chainage 164 at Zubza, which has been repeatedly affected by sinking and landslides, the counsel for M/S Brand Eagles submitted that only 78.32% physical progress has been made as of September 23, despite previous undertakings that the work would be completed by September.

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To reduce risks, the company has proposed constructing a viaduct. NHIDCL has forwarded the proposals, including one from its DPR consultant, to IIT Guwahati for technical feasibility assessment. The NHIDCL Authority Engineer said the corporation will take action once the feasibility report is received and will provide an update at the next hearing.

Chainages 124–128

The counsel for M/S Maccaferri Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd., responsible for slope management and rockfall barriers under Packages I and III, confirmed that remaining works in Chainages 124–128 are expected to be completed by November 30, 2025.

Highlighting the human and commuter impact, the Amicus Curiae stressed that these stretches of NH-29 pose severe risks to public safety and disrupt essential connectivity, reminding the court about the September 14 landslide.

In response, the NHIDCL Authority Engineer said the corporation has engaged a DPR consultant to propose permanent measures to prevent recurring landslides, rockfalls, and sinkings, and that a feasibility report has been submitted and is under review.

Further, the court allowed the Nagaland government to bring the jurisdictional Executive Engineer of NPWD (NH) to the next hearing for updates on ongoing remedial measures. The case has been listed for further hearing on October 29.