Dibrugarh: Continuous heavy rainfall over the past several days has caused damage to the Joypur-Deomali National Highway (NH-315A), the vital lifeline connecting Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, with landslides triggering the collapse of multiple stretches of the hilly road and snapping vehicular connectivity between the two states.The situation, which had been building since late June with landslides reported at three separate points near the Kathalguri Beat Office under Joypur Forest Range in Naharkatia, Dibrugarh worsened dramatically this week.In an official notice on June 29, the executive engineer, PWD (NH Division), Dibrugarh said incessant rain triggered a fresh landslide at the U-turn near Kothalguri on the Joypur-Hukanjuri Road at Km 56 of NH-315A. The damage had extended up to the centreline of the highway, making the road unsafe. The Joypur-Kothalguri stretch on the Assam side has been declared closed to all vehicles, and traffic has been diverted via NH-215, the Trans-Arunachal Highway, as a safety measure until further orders.On Thursday, Naharkatia MLA and political secretary to the Assam chief minister Taranga Gogoi visited the damaged site to take stock of the situation firsthand. He was accompanied by an administrative team comprising the co-district commissioner of Naharkatia and the additional deputy commissioner of Arunachal Pradesh’s Tirap district.The team inspected the affected sections near the U-turn, where parts of the road have slid into the gorge.“This is a critical lifeline for the people of Tirap district who depend on Assam for markets, healthcare and daily essentials. We have urged officials of both states to work on a war footing to temporarily restore the route so that emergency and essential services vehicles can move without delay,” MLA Gogoi said during the visit.“The damage has extended up to the centreline of the highway making it unsafe for any vehicular movement. We have already diverted traffic through NH-215 and necessary action is being undertaken for immediate restoration measures on the damaged highway,” executive engineer Rupjyoti Bora said.With the monsoon showing no signs of abating, residents of Tirap district, who rely heavily on the Joypur-Deomali route for access to Dibrugarh and Tinsukia now face prolonged disruption. Authorities on both sides have been urged to expedite emergency repair work to restore at least partial connectivity at the earliest.
A damaged stretch of the highway
A damaged stretch of the highway
