Phesama slide: Restriction on vehicular movement

Alice Yhoshu KOHIMA, AUGUST 20 The landslide near Phesama on National Highway-29 is reported to be getting worse with incessant rains and as a precautionary measure, authorities on Thursday announced that vehicular passage on this road will be closed from 6 pm to 6 am until the situation gets better. The public are advised to use the Chakhabama road via BSF Camp, Kohima in the meantime. Talking to Eastern Mirror, the Deputy Commissioner of Kohima Rovilatuo Mor, who visited the affected area earlier today, said that a huge area of the hillock has cracked from the landslide and sludge is flowing down to the road from about 1000 feet uphill. He informed that the road has been damaged considerably due to the landslide and it remains uncertain as to how long the highway will be affected since they are dealing with a landslide-vulnerable topography. The DC said the BRO has deployed a bulldozer and an excavator in the site to continue clearing the road for light vehicles. For heavy vehicles, he said passage will be allowed depending on feasibility, but it is not advisable at the moment. He said the decision to disallow vehicles to ply the affected area during the night was arrived in the view that the landslide is active and if anything happens it would be difficult and risky for heavy machinery to work at night. The MLA of Southern Angami-I, Vikho-o Yhoshü is also reported to have visited the site on Thursday to take stock of the situation, along with the DC, Superintendent of Police, Dy.SP traffic Kohima, Engineer-in-Chief and Chief Engineer NPWD, Phesama village leaders, the BRO officer in charge and their subordinates. Youth volunteers from Phesama are said to be vigorously helping out in the operations. They have informed travellers to report to the organization if any taxi is found to be taking advantage of the situation and charging more than regular fare.