Nagaland landslide: NH-29 still blocked, CM asks NHIDCL to expedite restoration work

Guwahati: The NH-29 that connects Dimapur with Nagaland capital Kohima remained blocked for the second day on Thursday as some portions were washed away due to landslides caused by cloudbursts and heavy rains on Tuesday.

At least six persons died and 11 cars, five trucks and three roadside hotels were damaged due to mudslides that created havoc on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Thursday visited the worst affected Pheriam area and took stock of the situation. He asked the construction agencies to expedite restoration work for normal vehicle movement. "The government will ensure that inconvenience is minimised and normalcy is restored at the earliest," CM said in a post on X.

Rio on Wednesday asked the National Highway and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), an agency under the union ministry of road transport, to restore the highway within 24-hours. But sources said the same could not be done as some portions were washed away and workers struggled to clear the muds and debris from the road.

Houses and major portions of National Highway-29, connecting Kohima with commercial hub Dimapur, damaged after heavy rainfall, in Chumoukedima district of Nagaland, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. One person died and several others were reported missing in the tragedy, according to officials.

On Thursday, Rio directed the NHIDCL to arrange at least one lane of the highway operational quickly for emergency transportation of essential commodities, said an official statement.

The NH-29 is one of the lifelines of Nagaland as it leads up to Manipur and is an important arterial road for supplies.

The landslides also triggered panic buying of essential commodities in Kohima with residents fearing shortage of supplies.The district administration, however, assured people about adequate supplies of commodities.