Shillong, Apr 22: The High Court of Meghalaya on Wednesday has taken up a suo motu PIL on the frequent landslides along the Shillong -Dawki road expansion site which has resulted in the lost of lives, most recently on April 20 when a rockslip killed two in Mawlieh.
A division bench of the Meghalaya High Court consisting of Chief Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice Wanlura Diengdoh.
The Court stated that it appears that the incident occurred before Langkyrdem on the route to Pynursla, a stretch prone to frequent landslides due to ongoing road widening and hill cutting activities.
The Court raised concern regarding inadequate safety measures, including failure to ensure proper stabilization, storage or disposal of loose rocks following blasting operations undertaken for the road project.
“It further appears that as a result of the same, there is a threat to public safety resulting in endangering the lives of people travelling/commuting through the said area,” the court stated.
During the hearing the Court has impleaded the State of Meghalaya through the Public Works Department; the central government through the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corp Ltd (NHIDCL), which is the executing agency, as party to the PIL.
