Shillong: The High Court of Meghalaya delayed the hearing of a public interest litigation regarding the Shillong-Dawki Road until August 11. A division bench led by Chief Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice W. Diengdoh decided to wait for a vulnerability assessment currently being conducted by IIT Guwahati. The assessment team started work on July 14, but heavy rain has slowed their pace.
Construction oversight remains a major concern. The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) reported that temporary banners are gone and new warning signs are up. They opened bids on July 22 to bring in a third party for metal beam crash barriers and RC railings because the original contractor moved too slowly. The NHIDCL hopes to award that contract within a week.
Road safety measures include stationing flagmen in reflective gear at construction sites. Traffic marshals now monitor critical areas during work hours. Workers are clearing landslide debris regularly to keep traffic moving. The NHIDCL also purchased an ambulance for the Pongtung PHC, though a vendor delay pushed its arrival to Tuesday. Another ambulance is already with the district administration.
Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong expects the road to open soon. "The subway is in its final stage and work is going on day and night," Tynsong said. Crews are building this subway in Laitlyngkot to bypass a section washed away last month. Meanwhile, the state PWD is fixing a five-kilometer diversion route that should be ready in two to three weeks. Officials warned that no trees should be cut along this path.
At chainage 25+200, boulders and stones are blocking bridge channels. The court ordered the NHIDCL to clear the debris to stop water from flooding the road. Regarding a school damaged by construction, the court is waiting for the district administration to provide a cost estimate for repairs. The contractor is building a retaining wall there, which should finish by July 31.
Separately, East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner Abhilash Baranwal is working with the NHIDCL to map landslide hotspots. "We are working with NHIDCL to ensure that no new incidents occur," he said. The government is also moving forward with a 166.80-km four-lane greenfield highway connecting Mawlyngkhung in Meghalaya to Panchgram in Assam. This Rs 22,864 crore project, approved last year, is currently in the land acquisition phase.
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