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KOHIMA — For the fourth time in less than a month, landslides have wreaked havoc on the vital National Highway-29 connecting Kohima and Dimapur, causing major disruptions for travellers.
The latest incident, a major landslide at the notorious Old KMC dumping site in Jotsoma, began Monday afternoon and completely closed the highway. This stretch has a history of landslides, with major incidents in 2018 and 2019 closing the road for extended periods.
By Tuesday morning, a massive effort by the Public Works Department (PWD) was underway to clear the debris and reopen the highway. Crews from the PWD's Mechanical, Road and Bridges, and National Highway divisions were deployed with excavators, bulldozers, and backhoe loaders.
Also read: Rock fall on NH 29 again; movement of light vehicles restricted
However, officials on site said that the highway would remain closed until the debris was fully cleared. Work crews were employing a bench cutting technique—removing layers of earth from the top down—to safely clear the massive debris pile and mitigate the risk of further slides.
Menang Jamir, Executive Engineer of PWD (National Highway) Kohima, estimated that a 60-metre stretch of road was buried under debris and the affected area extends approximately 200 metres above the road. He told thethat while one lane could potentially be opened by Tuesday evening, authorities are aiming to clear the entire affected area uphill to prevent further slides. Full reopening could extend into Wednesday, he said.
He explained that a perennial stream flowing through the area carried debris downhill throughout Monday afternoon and workers had noticed minor slides while at lunch. By evening, the entire stretch had collapsed onto the highway and a bus narrowly escaped being buried, requiring an excavator to clear a path.
Although crews attempted to open the road Monday night, ongoing mudslides hampered their efforts, he said.
Providing further updates, Neingumeu Kire, Chief Engineer of PWD (Mechanical), confirmed sufficient machinery and manpower were available for the operation. More than six pieces of heavy equipment and over 20 personnel, including mechanics, were on-site, she said.
PWD (R&B) Superintendent Ketouzo Peseyie noted that the ability to dump debris directly below the affected area was expediting the clearing process. However, he expressed concern about a similar slope adjacent to the landslide, noting that it too could fail if rainfall continues.
It may be recalled that in mid-August, a major landslide occurred near Dzudza Bridge along NH-29. This was followed by rockslides at Pherima that tragically killed six people and injured several others and another landslide at New Chümoukedima that washed away a section of the road on the same day. This current landslide at the Old KMC dump site is the fourth incident within a span of 30 days.
Meanwhile, Kohima Police have diverted Dimapur-bound light vehicles through the Kohima bypass via Jotsoma. However, heavy vehicles remain stranded on both sides of the blockage, causing long queues along the highway as they wait for the road to be restored.