Kalinga Ghat landslide clean-up, repair of cut-off road in 7 days: NHAI

A severe landslide struck the Kalinga Ghat region, creating an allegedly terrible situation for commuters and local authorities alike. Massive rocks and debris from the nearby hill have tumbled down onto the road, completely severing the crucial transport link between the Kandhamal and Ganjam districts.

Also Read: Landslide in Kalinga Ghat snaps Kandhamal–Ganjam road connectivity

However, cleanup of the massive landslide and temporary repair of the cut-off road is at best expected in a week more, a senior official of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) said on Wednesday.

The incident brought traffic to a complete halt, cutting off access to the region. After 22 hours of halt in vehicular movement, road-clearing operations finally began. Cleanup crews are actively working to remove the heavy stones and mud blocking the highway.

Chief Construction Engineer from the NHAI visited the site to assess damage. According to NHAI officials, full restoration may take up to seven days. In the meantime, a temporary repair will be carried out to enable limited vehicle movement.

Reportedly, this is the first time such a large-scale landslide has occurred in Kalinga Ghat. Officials remarked that the situation resembles the infamous landslides in Uttarakhand, signalling potential long-term geological concerns.

“Culverts of both sides and the approach road of 10-12 metres in height and 40 metres in length have been washed away. Incessant rain persists, and the water flow is still very high. It is not that easy to reconstruct the 10-12 metres-high road from the base,” a senior NHAI official, Bankim Chandra Panda, said to OTV when contacted at the site.

“We have sought the expert advice of a design engineer in this regard, before starting the reconstruction work. Traffic is our first concern, and we are trying to restore the vehicular movement as soon as possible,” the senior NHAI official added.

Reported By: Ajit Kumar Nayak, Ashok Kumar Brahma