Traffic grounds to halt as massive landslide completely damages NH-2

The massive landslide that resulted in road subsidence near Kisama village, just a few metres away from the Naga Heritage Village exit on National Highway-2 (NH-2), has completely damaged the national highway as incessant rain continues.
Speaking to Nagaland Post, Kevipodi Sophie MLA, who visited the landslide area, expressed concern over sinking of a portion of the road. He said the area was a landslide-prone area, and recalled that a major landslide occurred three to four years ago too.
Sophie said that as the road was one of the lifelines of Nagaland as well as Manipur, it was important that the highway was restored as early as possible. The MLA said he would take up the matter with the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) and request them to restore the highway as early as possible.
He also wondered why the bypass that was being constructed had been delayed.
“Had the bypass road been completed by now, an alternative route would have been available,” he pointed out.
Sophie said the only alternative now was for the NHIDCL to work day and night to restore NH-2.
He said the lifeline of most of the villages of the Southern Angami area and Manipur had been totally cut off, and the students badly affected.
He expressed sympathy with the students attending their classes and some appearing for their exams and facing hardships posed by the landslide.
He suspected the main cause for the landslide was a water source near the landslide site.
Sophie said the stretch was a landslide-prone area and called for a scientific approach to resolve the problem once and for all.
Meanwhile, president of Phesama Youth Organisation (PYO) Veyie Kuotsu disclosed that the landslide began Saturday, before severely impacting the traffic on Sunday morning, with some vehicles becoming trapped in the portion.
He said due to assistance from local people, those trapped in the vehicles were rescued, though some of the vehicles were damaged. Fortunately, there were no casualties he said.
Veyie said the district administration officials, accompanied by SDO (Civil) Jakhama, inspected the affected area on Monday morning, along with Southern Angami Youth Organisation (SAYO) office-bearers.
He expressed the hope that the district administration after a meeting with the organizations, would do the needful to help the people stranded.
He said buses and Tata Wingers were being used to transport the stranded to safety, though most of them had been evacuated.
He also disclosed that around 170 trucks were stranded and that youth organisations, village councils and the church were trying their best to assist and help the stranded people.
Veyie said the PYO was trying its best to help the stranded students by arranging local grounds for parking buses and that once they arrive Phesama local ground, the respective educational institutions could arrange their transportation to ferry them to their college.
he said h alternative route now being notified with light motor vehicles (LMVs) now plying on that route.
Veyie said he had spoken to the NHIDCL and hoped that they would prioritise restoring the highway. He also appealed the NHIDCL to come up with their technical expertise to come out with a permanent solution to the issue of recurring landslides on the highway.
Further Veyie also urged the state government and the NHIDCL to complete the restoration work as soon as possible so that traffic could be resumed on the highway as soon as possible.
A stranded driver told this reporter that he was stuck since the past three days and that the main problem was food and non-availability of toilet.
Though he was managing with the little ration he had in stock and sourcing some from the shops around, he stated that it was difficult to cook sometimes due to the rain.