SHILLONG, March 16: A major landslide triggered by heavy rainfall eroded a portion of the Shillong-Dawki Road near Bri War on Sunday night, severely disrupting vehicular movement along the busy route.
According to reports, the landslide occurred when heavy rainwater rushed through RCC pipes installed along the old road alignment, causing the road section to collapse. The incident took place in the stretch under Package 4 of the road project.
As a temporary arrangement, vehicles are being diverted through a kutcha road adjacent to the old alignment.
Sources said the culvert on the new road alignment had been constructed 23 days ago and had not been opened for traffic, as the cement structure requires additional time to fully settle and stabilise. The construction company was also preparing to start work on another culvert to connect the new road with the old alignment.
Members of the Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP), Riwar Mihngi Circle, and the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), South Central East Circle, Pynursla, inspected the affected site along with the project manager on Monday.
Speaking to The Shillong Times, FKJGP Riwar Mihngi Circle president E. Khonglam said the organisations have urged the company to repair the damaged road at the earliest.
“The project management assured us that the damaged section will be repaired within 10 days so that vehicular movement can resume,” he said.
Khonglang said that members of both organisations sought to know from the project manager and the public relations officer how the road was damaged and why preventive measures were not undertaken earlier. They were informed that the culvert structure with reinforced concrete pipes could not withstand the strong water flow.
During the inspection, the team also visited nearby areas, including Siatbakon, where soil movement and water flow were found to have affected the road and the surrounding area.
The organisations raised concerns over the lack of a proper connection between the old road and the newly constructed road. It was observed that the new culvert was built with soil and stones laid over it, while the pipes along the old road remained exposed and incomplete.
Khonglam said the authorities informed them that the remaining work could be completed within 10 days. However, he pointed out that it may take up to a month for the culvert structure to fully dry and stabilise.
The organisations also demanded warning signals and the deployment of personnel at the site to regulate traffic and prevent accidents while repair work is underway.
They further urged the authorities to properly reconstruct the culvert and ensure that the old and new roads are adequately connected to avoid similar incidents in the future.
The two organisations also called on the joint venture construction firm implementing Phase II of the project, YFC Project Pvt Ltd–ACE Construction, to expedite the restoration work and reopen the road for the convenience of the public at the earliest.
