OUR CORRESPONDENT
HAFLONG: A major landslide accompanied by slope movement near the Jatinga-Lampur section of National Highway 27 on Monday afternoon prompted the Dima Hasao District Administration to temporarily suspend all vehicular traffic between Haflong and Silchar.
Invoking Section 34 (C) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the restriction aims to safeguard the lives of commuters amid hazardous conditions. The landslide severely disrupted road connectivity and posed significant safety risks.
In response, authorities are working on a war footing to clear the debris and restore safe passage. However, officials confirmed that no alternative routes were currently safe or viable. Commuters have been urged to defer travel and stay informed through official updates from the district administration and local authorities.
The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and the Railway Authority were instructed to deploy technical teams specializing in slope stabilization and landslide mitigation to assess the site and take preventive action against further earth movement.
Meanwhile, the landslide left several vehicles stranded near Jatinga since Monday. Truck drivers, especially those transporting perishables, reported severe hardships. One group enroute from Lanka to Silchar carrying broiler chickens said around nine quintals of poultry perished due to the heat, resulting in substantial losses. With no alternative passage, other vehicles carrying perishable goods such as vegetables returned to their origin points.
Stranded drivers appealed to the district administration to provide food or allow movement through an alternative route. However, officials clarified that the only potential bypass, an under-construction stretch of NH 27, was deemed unsafe for travel.
However despite repeated approaches, the Project Director of NHAI refused to comment on the situation.
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