Landslides wreak havoc
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 22: Torrential rain during this monsoon has caused great hardships to the people of Nagaland and Manipur as it has resulted in major landslides damaging bridges and sinking roads along the National Highway 39 and also in different parts of Nagaland.

Major damages have been caused along the National Highway 39, Dimapur-Imphal road and another under Kiphire district of Nagaland, while NH-61 has also been partly affected due to torrential rain.

Vehicles including goods laden trucks stranded near Kohima on NH-39 due to the landslides following incessant rain

The major landslide along the National Highway-39, some 8 kms from Kohima, is continuing to frustrate the travellers between Dimapur and Kohima disrupting the flow of traffic to and from Manipur for the last three weeks.

Passing through a hilly terrain, the NH-39 has been badly affected with torrential down pour continuing this monsoon.

A stretch of about 100 metres has totally sunk about seven feet on August 7 last disturbing the normal flow of traffic in between Kohima dumping ground and Bye-Pass, which is also the main life-line of Manipur and other districts of Nagaland passing through Kohima.

Hundreds of goods laden vehicles are stranded along the road sides of NH-39, which has added to traffic congestion on the two-lane road.

The Border Road Organisation (BRO) has been actively on duty to repair the sunk stretch while State traffic police personnel are engaged in clearing the traffic.

However, due to continued rainfall even the BRO is in a dilemma to complete the repair works at the earliest.

Official sources revealed that the area is a sinking zone and if the rains continue there are chances that it would sink more.

On the other hand traffic police are also actively engaged in clearing the traffic for down vehicles, which are being diverted through Bypass.

At this rate, the repair works would take another two-three weeks for completion, sources said.

Due to the landslide, people of Nagaland and Manipur are facing hardships with the rise prices of essential commodities.

A good number of public carriers, specially trucks coming up are being stranded on the road sides unable to cross the sinking zone, but BRO bulldozers are seen pulling the trucks while coming up.

Meanwhile, landslide has also occurred along the NH-61, Kohima-Wokha road near Mereima.

Further, citizens of Kiphire district are facing the biggest problem this monsoon as supply of essential commodities as well as public transport systems have been cut off for about two months now due to bridge collapse and road damage due to landslides.

In Kohima, landslides have not only affected the roads, but also causing hardships to the people as a number of houses have been damaged due to landslides in various pockets.