By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, April 28: The Shillong-Dawki road was reopened on Tuesday after remaining closed for nearly a week following a fatal landslide at Mawlieh near Lyngkyrdem.
Two persons lost their lives when massive boulders had crashed down onto their vehicle on April 20.
Vehicular movement resumed from 8 am on Tuesday, bringing relief to commuters and transporters who had been severely affected by the disruption. The closure had taken a toll on commercial vehicle operators plying between Pynursla and Shillong, with many reporting a sharp decline in daily earnings.
Drivers said that due to the diversion via longer routes through Sohra, Sohbar and Nongjri, travel time nearly doubled from around one-and-a-half hours to over three hours, increasing fuel costs significantly.
The disruption also caused inconveniences to the general public, particularly patients who rely on the route for access to medical facilities in Shillong.
The Pynursla Civil Sub-Division administration has regulated traffic timings along the affected stretch to facilitate ongoing repair works.
In a public notice issued on Tuesday, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Gautam Warjri said following slope stabilisation works carried out by the EPC contractor under the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), partial road closures will be enforced daily along the Laitlyngkot-Lyngkyrdem stretch (Km 24+00 to Km 37+00) with effect from April 28 until further notice.
According to the order, road closure timings will be from 10:30 am to 3:00 pm, and 9:00 pm to 4:00 am. Vehicular movement from both ends—Lyngkyrdem and Laitlyngkot—will be allowed until 10:30 am, after which construction activities will commence.
The administration stated that the arrangement is temporary and will remain in force on a daily basis until further notice.
In view of the approaching monsoon, commuters have been advised to exercise utmost caution while travelling through the stretch and to avoid non-essential movement during heavy rainfall and night hours.
Emergency health services will be facilitated during closure periods, and coordination assistance can be sought through the Pynursla Police Station.
NHIDCL to monitor landslide-prone stretches
Concerned with frequent landslides along the Shillong-Dawki road, the state government has directed the NHIDCL to monitor the situation.
Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, who is also the PWD (Roads) Minister, said, “NHIDCL will conduct necessary surveys from time to time and find out the vulnerable areas followed by necessary action.”
Recalling that the NHIDCL had engaged experts to carry out preliminary investigation before completing the DPR of the project, Tynsong acknowledged that there are some difficult stretches along the under-construction road.
“The road is very narrow and since space is limited on the right side, the scope of widening is limited. On the left side, there are deep gorges,” he said, adding that the areas become vulnerable during monsoon seasons which lead to the road’s closure. Stating that the cutting of the hillock at Mawlieh is more or less completed, he said landslides will keep occurring and therefore, people travelling on the road have to be careful during construction. “We request residents to avoid unnecessary travel between Shillong and Dawki during the rainy season,” Tynsong said.
He added that the government wants to complete the road at the earliest, with a target set for 2027.
