By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Oct 3: A vehicle was badly damaged after boulders rolled down near Pomlum village along the Shillong–Dawki road around 7 pm on Thursday.
Fortunately, the passengers inside the car escaped unhurt as they managed to get out in time.
Disaster Management Minister Lahkmen Rymbui on Friday voiced serious concern over the repeated mishaps occurring along the under-construction Shillong-Dawki road, a lifeline for trade and tourism in Meghalaya.
The minister acknowledged that the Shillong–Dawki stretch had witnessed a spate of landslides, accidents, and loss of lives in recent months, underscoring the vulnerability of commuters.
He explained that district authorities, including the Sub-Divisional Officer and the Deputy Commissioner who also chairs the District Disaster Management Authority, had been maintaining close surveillance of the area.
Rymbui also welcomed the Union government’s sanction for expanding the road, describing it as an essential step that would not only improve connectivity but also boost economic activity for the people living along the route.
He further stressed that the upgraded link to the Tamabil export point in Bangladesh would ease cross-border trade.
At the same time, he hoped that with the monsoon season drawing to an end, the construction company would accelerate work on the project to ensure its early completion.
He added that only then could recurring dangers like landslides and mud slips, which continue to put lives at risk, be minimised.
Officials on the ground echoed the concerns, highlighting the negligence of some commuters in ignoring safety advisories.
Sources confirmed that the vehicle hit by falling boulders on Thursday had been travelling despite a closure order in place for the affected stretch. The Sub-Divisional Officer (Civil), Pynursla, had already issued a public notice restricting movement between Laitkyngkot and Lyngkyrdem, permitting only limited relaxation on October 1 and 2 for public convenience.
The advisory had urged commuters to avoid night travel and to refrain from using the route during heavy rainfall, warning that the zone remains dangerously unstable even without active construction work.
The latest incident has once again underscored the precarious condition of the Shillong–Dawki road. While commuters wait for the promised expansion, the unfinished stretch continues to be a corridor of risk, testing both the vigilance of authorities and the patience of the public.
