Bhubaneswar: The Kalinga Ghati Road will remain closed till September 30 due to repeated landslides in the area.
The Kandhamal District Collector made this decision after assessing the situation on the ground, following the second landslide on Monday.
According to reports, there have been over five instances of rockfalls in the Kalinga Ghati area in the last 15 days, with a significant incident occurring on September 16. On that day, a large quantity of rocks slid down the hill, damaging the National Highway connecting Bhanjanagar and Phulbani. The road has been severely affected, and it will take some time to restore normalcy.
Expert teams from Bhanjanagar and Subarnapur have been dispatched to assess the situation and work on restoring normalcy.
Bhanjanagar Tahasildar Abhipsa Pattnaik and Additional Tahasildar Abinash Maharana visited the site in the evening to assess the situation.
The authorities, however, continued to face a daunting task in clearing the road and ensuring stability, given the continued risk of rockfalls and the impact of heavy rainfall. The situation is being closely monitored, and efforts are underway to mitigate the effects of the landslides.
The closure of the Kalinga Ghati Road is expected to cause disruptions to traffic and travel plans. Thus, motorists are advised to explore alternative routes until the road is deemed safe. The district administration is working to mitigate the situation and restore normalcy at the earliest.