NHIDCL says NH-29 remains open despite minor rockfalls, urges caution as Chümoukedima issues monsoon travel advisory for commuters statewide
DIMAPUR — After a video purportedly showing a rockfall and landslide along NH-29 (Dimapur–Kohima road) went viral on Monday evening, authorities on Tuesday ruled out any major landslide and said the circulating clip appeared to be old.
Following inspections by officials from the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), authorities maintained that while minor rockfalls had occurred at a few isolated locations, no incident matching the viral video was found.
ACP (Traffic) Peter Shuya said that the highway remains open to traffic but urged commuters to exercise extreme caution during rainfall as the stretch is prone to rockfalls. “People need to be very careful during the rain. If rocks start falling, it becomes extremely dangerous,” he said.
He added that the highway could be closed immediately in the event of heavy rainfall or major rockfalls in the interest of public safety.
Shuya informed that minor rockfalls had been reported at a few isolated spots, but nothing matching the viral video was found.
"Despite heavy rain, we did not see any major incident like the one shown in the video. We suspect it is an old clip being recirculated because nothing of that scale was found during today's inspection," he said.
According to Shuya, minor rockfalls reported at several locations were being cleared continuously, with NHIDCL carrying out round-the-clock patrols. He also advised commuters not to stop or park their vehicles at vulnerable stretches.
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NHIDCL officials inspecting the area also dismissed the authenticity of the viral video. NHIDCL Deputy General Manager (DGM) Manish Kumar said that the video did not appear to have been recorded on July 6. He informed that the inspection team found only small debris at two or three locations and nothing resembling the incident shown in the viral clip.
He added that NHIDCL was not investigating the source of the video.
The agency identified two major vulnerable locations, along with a few other stretches where minor rockfalls have been reported since Monday. As a precautionary measure, NHIDCL has proposed temporarily closing the left-hand-side (LHS) carriageway between Chathe River Bridge and the Tsiedukhru range and diverting traffic to the right-hand-side (RHS) carriageway, which will function as a two-lane road whenever necessary.
NHIDCL officials said that maintenance contractors have been deployed round the clock during the monsoon for daily inspections and immediate debris clearance and were actively monitoring the highway even on Monday night.
Advisory
Meanwhile, the Chümoukedima district administration issued a public advisory urging commuters travelling along the NH-29 stretch from Chathe Bridge (Unity Gate) to Tsiedukhru, Khuokhi Bridge and Kukidolong to exercise extreme caution, especially during heavy rainfall and at night.
The advisory asked motorists to follow all traffic diversions and instructions issued by authorities on-site, warning that the left-hand-side carriageway of the four-lane highway may be temporarily closed without prior notice whenever considered necessary. It also appealed to the public not to circulate fake or unverified information regarding road conditions or incidents and instead rely on official updates from the competent authorities.
Responding to concerns over last year's landslides, which claimed lives and disrupted connectivity along NH-29, NHIDCL officials rejected allegations that poor construction quality had contributed to the disaster.
NHIDCL engineer George said that the incident had been declared a natural disaster by the District Disaster Management Authority and maintained that the highway construction was not substandard.
For a long-term solution, NHIDCL informed that a Detailed Project Report (DPR) covering the entire 45-km stretch from the Tsiedukhru range to Jotsoma Bypass is at an advanced stage. The proposal includes permanent mitigation measures such as bridges and tunnels, while contractors handling all three project packages have been directed to conduct regular inspections and take proactive measures to minimise monsoon-related disruptions.
NHIDCL officials also appealed to the public not to be misled by unverified social media posts and assured that all possible measures are being taken to ensure the safety of commuters travelling along the highway.