IIT Guwahati experts inspect Meghalaya road cave-in; NHIDCL asked to set restoration timeline

An expert team from IIT Guwahati has inspected the massive road cave-in in Meghalaya, even as the district administration directed the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (NHIDCL) to provide clear deadlines for restoring the damaged stretch.

Speaking to reporters, the Deputy Commissioner of East Khasi Hills District said the landslide had caused extensive damage, with the entire road section caving in.

"As is clear from the visuals, it's quite a major landslide. The entire road has caved in," the official said.

The official noted that NHIDCL had already indicated that repairs would not be completed within a month or two due to the scale of the damage.

"NHIDCL has said this is not something that can be repaired in one or two months. They will require substantial time. Their experts from IIT Guwahati have already visited," the official added.

A review meeting chaired by the Sub-Divisional Officer (Civil) was held on Thursday to assess the situation. The district administration has instructed officials to monitor the restoration work twice every week and ensure that NHIDCL provides firm timelines for every stage of the project.

"I have instructed that the monitoring has to be done on a bi-weekly basis. Simultaneously, NHIDCL will have to give clear deadlines for every actionable point, whether it is the expert report, the start of the work or its completion. Those deadlines will have to be adhered to," the official said.

The administration also said it was pressing NHIDCL to restore connectivity at the earliest, either by repairing the damaged road or by providing an alternative passage.

"We are taking it up with NHIDCL to make sure that this road is restored, or some subway sort of arrangement is provided at the earliest possible time," the official said.

When asked about the restoration timeline, the official said the administration was awaiting the minutes of Thursday's meeting, after which NHIDCL is expected to announce specific deadlines for the repair work.