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Monday, September 1, 2008
NATURE’S FURY : The road diversion which has come up on NH-39 near Zubza following the sinking of a stretch of the road
Landslide on NH-39 at Nagaland
Road diversion built, loaded trucks still stranded
By Our Staff Reporter
KOHIMA/IMP, Aug 31 : With a large number of goods laden trucks still stranded on NH-39 following landslide and sinking of about 100 metres of road near Zubza in Nagaland and with the downpour compounding matter, the 89 Road Construction Company has started building a road diversion in right earnest to pave the way for the vehicles.
Though the road diversion has come up, fully loaded trucks are still stranded as there is apprehension that the new diversion will not be able to take the weight of the loaded trucks.
A team of media persons was escorted to the affected parts of the highway by the FCS Department today.
Located about 6 kms towards Dimapur from Kohi- ma, a stretch of about 100 metres of the highway had sunk forcing the Government to go in for the diversion option.
Closely monitored by the Kohima DC Suchapra, SP of Kohima police RH Kikon and Colonel Sandip of the BRTF Project Sewak the work on the diversion is on in full swing and efforts are on to procure WBM.
Light vehicles and trucks not loaded are allowed to pass through.
Since there is the apprehension that the diversion may not be able to withstand the weight of the fully loaded trucks, in the face of the heavy down pour, only light vehicles are allowed to pass through.
A late evening report said that altogether 79 loaded trucks including 16 trucks carrying fertilisers and 24 oil tankers are stranded near Piphema as they cannot pass through the landslide area at Zubza.
Interacting with the media near the landslide spot, officials of Nagaland Government said that they have already intimated to the Government of Manipur not to let goods laden trucks carry more than 15 tonnes during Monsoon. The suggestion of the Nagaland Government was made in line with experts recommendations.
The place where the road has sunk is identified as a sinking zone, they said and added that this is not the first time that the road stretch there has given way.
Officials recalled that a long stretch of road sank in 1990 and again 1991 at the same spot. There is also a similar record of 1981.
About 100 metres of stretch of the road has sunk to about 10 metres and even at the time of filing this report, the road is still continuing to sink at the rate of one or half a metre per day.
Personnel of the BRTF opined that over and above the fact that the stretch is a sinking zone, what has compounded the matter is the terrace cultivation taken up on the side of the hills by the roadside, making the stretch more vulnerable.
