Kohima, July 7: With monsoon rains intensifying across Nagaland, the Chümoukedima district administration on Tuesday issued a public advisory warning commuters to exercise extreme caution while travelling on the landslide-prone stretch of National Highway-29 between Chathe Bridge (Unity Gate) and Kukidolong.
Deputy Commissioner Polan John said the nearly 25-km stretch, covering Chathe Bridge, Tsiedukhrü, Khuokhi Bridge and Kukidolong, remains highly vulnerable to landslides and rockfalls during the monsoon and could witness sudden traffic disruptions, particularly during heavy rainfall and at night.
The administration cautioned that the left-hand carriageway of the four-lane highway may be closed without prior notice whenever required for safety or debris clearance operations. Motorists have been advised to follow diversions and instructions issued by officials on the ground.
The district administration also urged the public not to circulate unverified information on road conditions or incidents and to rely only on official updates to avoid panic.
The advisory comes against the backdrop of repeated monsoon disasters on the Dimapur-Kohima highway, particularly around the Chathe River-Pakala Pahar-Kukidolong section, long regarded as one of Nagaland’s most dangerous landslide hotspots.
Almost every monsoon, this corridor witnesses major landslides, rockfalls and prolonged traffic disruptions. In 2017, a massive landslide near Pakala Pahar buried the highway for four days and claimed a life. Similar incidents in subsequent years repeatedly cut off the state’s lifeline, disrupting the movement of essential commodities and emergency services. A truck driver was killed by a falling boulder in 2019, while fresh landslides between 2020 and 2022 left several people dead or injured and stranded commuters, including patients and pregnant women, without access to medical assistance. In 2023, a school bus and two passenger vehicles were trapped overnight after a midnight landslide, underscoring the dangers of travelling on the highway after dark.
Official records and media reports indicate that at least six people have lost their lives and scores have been injured in landslides, rockfalls and related accidents along the 3-4 km Pakala Pahar belt over the past eight years, although the actual toll is believed to be higher.
NH-29 is Nagaland’s principal highway connecting Dimapur and Kohima and serves as the state’s economic lifeline. Even brief closures can disrupt the movement of essential supplies, fuel and emergency services to the state capital and other hill districts.
The Deputy Commissioner’s office said the advisory has been shared with the Works and Housing Department, Nagaland Police, the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) and other agencies for coordinated action. Authorities have urged commuters to avoid unnecessary travel during periods of heavy rain, especially at night, and to monitor official advisories before undertaking journeys on the highway.
