Six people died and four others were injured in a series of landslides, triggered by incessant rainfall, along National Highway 29 in Nagaland after 11 p.m. on Tuesday (September 3, 2024).
Much of the damage was in the Pherima and Pagla Pahar areas in the Chumoukedima district. Landslides and mudslides at other locations either blocked or washed away portions of the highway, snapping road communications between Dimapur, Nagaland’s commercial hub on the border with Assam, and the State capital Kohima.
The highway is a lifeline for Manipur, apart from Nagaland.
Search and rescue
An official of the Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority said that two of the six deceased were travellers, one was a shopkeeper, and one was a worker at a roadside eatery. “The details of two others are being ascertained. Search and recovery operations are ongoing,” he said.
“I am deeply concerned by the large-scale destruction on NH-29 caused by incessant rainfall. The authorities are at the site assessing the situation and helping those affected,” Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said on Wednesday (September 4, 2024).
He said the State government would continue to work with the Centre and the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited for immediate measures to restore normalcy at the earliest.
“It brings deep anguish learning about the unfortunate calamity, which occurred last night near Pherima and Pagla Pahar, leading to the loss of life and property. Search and rescue operations are still underway. Let us pray for the safety of those that are still missing,” Deputy Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang said.
Road closures
The Dimapur police issued an advisory for people to avoid NH29 as well as one of the alternative routes to commute between Dimapur and Kohima.
“In view of the massive mudslide at Pherima, landslide at Tseipama/Piphema and another major landslide on NH 29 (Pagala Pahar/New Chumoukedima) which has washed away an entire section of the road, all vehicular traffic between Kohima and Dimapur on NH-29 is blocked as it is not possible to ply on this stretch of road,” the advisory from Dimapur’s Commissioner of Police said.
“Alternative route via Pimla-Mhainamtsi... is also not advised due to the above mudslide/landslides. The Niuland-Kohima via Zhadima Road can be used by light motor vehicles only. No heavy vehicles shall be allowed to ply on this route,” it added.
Panic in Kohima
Reports from Kohima, about 70 km from Dimapur, said that people had resorted to panic buying of fuel and essential commodities after news spread about the landslides and the resultant road obstruction.
In an advisory, Kohima Deputy Commissioner Kumar Ramnikant urged people to refrain from panic buying as there is no shortage of fuel and essential commodities in the State capital. The “assumption” of such shortage was “fallacious”, he said.
Data tabled in Parliament on July 31 said 592 landslide incidents were reported across the northeast between 2017 and July 2024, with 196 of these occurring between April and July this year.
Published - September 04, 2024 10:59 am IST
