Rockslide due to natural calamity, claims NHIDCL chief

NHIDCL followed the guidelines of Hill Road manual by Indian Road Congress (IRC) 1998 in its four-lane road project

DIMAPUR— Executive Director of National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), Riten Kumar Singh, on Thursday claimed that the July 4 rockslide incident near Chathe Bridge in Chümoukedima, which took two precious lives and injured three was due to natural calamity.

Singh is the chairman of the committee constituted by the NHIDCL to investigate the cause of the rockfall on the Dimapur-Kohima four-lane road.

Replying to queries from journalists during the inspection at the incident site, Singh said that in the area of the rockfall, the last cutting was done in 2018, and after that the rock was stable.

“I think this is a natural calamity,” he said.

He maintained that the NHIDCL followed the guidelines of Hill Road manual by Indian Road Congress (IRC) 1998 in its four-lane road project. He also insisted that NHIDCL has done maximum works and many protection measures such as rock bolting and netting were taken up.

Queried why NHIDCL did not take any measures when the state government including Nagaland Pollution Control Board and deputy commissioner of Chümoukedima had apprised it to take cognisance of the danger, he replied that the government had not provided alternative route when the road was closed, and questioned what the state government was doing.

He said that the area has been fragile for a long time.

Sources informed that the executive director had directed to put a slop mechanism in area of rockfall after visiting the site.

Meanwhile, officials from PWD (National Highway), Nagaland said that they have identified 14 hazardous sites along the four-lane road and that they will be visiting all the identified sites.

Traffic congestion continues

Even after the government issued a travel advisory restricting small vehicles from plying along the Chathe Bridge, many citizens were seen trying to take the route, causing heavy traffic on the stretch of the road.

It was noticed that many vehicle owners and motorists were requesting the police personnel on duty to let them pass, but turned down, except heavy vehicles and those on emergency with proper proofs.

The traffic police personnel are said to be taking turns to monitor the area 24-hour duty since June 4.

Also read: Rockslide causes: Rains, rock type and human interference