Shillong, Jun 21: The Shillong-Dawki road has been closed for all public and vehicular movement beyond Laitlyngkot village with immediate effect after a portion of the stretch at Chainage 25+200 near Laitlyngkot collapsed after heavy rains, the East Khasi Hills district administration said today.
Video from the scene showed that a chunk of road had collapsed as the earth supporting it had given away. The ground had apparently been weakened by water pouring down the hillside nearby. Several vehicles were left stranded on either side of the collapse. There was no word on whether there were any injuries.
This road is frequently plagued by landslides, usually brought about by wet weather, though poor construction work is also often blamed by commuters and residents.
In an order issued by Deputy Commissioner Abhilash Baranwal, the district administration said that repair and restoration work will take a few days to complete. The closure will remain in force until further notice.
Baranwal suggested two alternative routes: Shillong–Sohra–Sohbar–Dawki and Shillong–Jowai–Amlarem–Dawki.
The order further advised all commuters to avoid travelling through the Shillong–Dawki road beyond Laitlyngkot village during the closure period. Travellers should follow diversion routes and directions issued by police, traffic authorities and National Highways Infrastructure Development Corp Ltd (NHIDCL) personnel on duty, plan journeys in advance and allow additional travel time.
The DC urged the public to cooperate with authorities to ensure smooth traffic management and safety. For emergency assistance, people can dial 112. Commuters have also been asked to follow weather alerts issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
