KHONSA, Jul 8: The Khonsa–Lazu Road near the Khonsa Post Office has been closed to all vehicular traffic after a 110-mtr stretch was extensively damaged by continuous heavy rainfall, rendering the road unsafe for both light and heavy vehicles.
The damaged road is a key connectivity corridor linking 16 villages under the Lazu administrative circle, including villages in the Tutnu Block, besides Lapnan, Kheti and Thinsa. It also provides access to important establishments such as APSTS Bus Station, Assam Rifles Headquarters, CRPF Headquarters and Government Higher Secondary School, Khonsa.
Following the closure, APSTS bus services on the route are likely to remain suspended until the road is restored and declared safe for traffic.
During an inspection, PWD Tirap Division Executive Engineer Taro Jeram said the affected stretch lies in a slow-sinking zone and has suffered severe subgrade failure. He noted that the site has remained geologically unstable for several years and should be declared a black spot due to its recurring vulnerability.
He said the department has been carrying out annual maintenance works, including pavement repairs and construction of parapet walls, but these have only provided temporary relief as the subgrade continues to settle.
According to the EE, long-term solutions under consideration include construction of pile foundations or development of an alternative road alignment to ensure durable connectivity.
Jeram urged residents living near the damaged stretch to shift to safer locations, warning that there is a significant risk of major earth movement.
As an immediate measure, traffic has been diverted through Bank Colony and the DC Office Complex in Khonsa.
The district administration has appealed to the public to avoid the affected stretch near the Post Office and use the designated diversion routes until restoration work is completed and the road is certified safe for vehicular traffic.
MLA assures early restoration
Meanwhile, Khonsa East MLA Wanglam Sawin assured that every effort would be made to restore connectivity on the rain-damaged Khonsa–Lazu Road at the earliest while pursuing a permanent solution to the recurring road subsidence near the Khonsa Post Office.
The assurance came during a joint inspection of the affected stretch by the MLA, along with ADC Namneet Singh, PWD Superintending Engineer Mitung Mize, Executive Engineer Taro Jeram, District Disaster Management Officer, and officials from the Public Works Department, Power Department and PHED.
Sawin said the district administration and PWD were working in close coordination to expedite restoration of the damaged road. He appealed to residents to cooperate with authorities, stating that evacuating the affected area was necessary to facilitate shifting utility lines and enable repair work to begin without delay.
He also informed that a long-term engineering solution was being explored to prevent similar incidents, including the possibility of realigning the road by relocating the existing post office, subject to technical feasibility.
EE Taro Jeram said nearly 200 metres of the road, with an average width of about 10 metres, had suffered extensive damage due to incessant rainfall. He explained that the stretch is a known sinking zone that has undergone periodic repairs over the years. However, the recent heavy rains caused the road surface to subside by nearly three feet, leading to severe damage.
Jeram said restoration work would begin immediately after the completion of utility shifting and evacuation of the affected area. He added that the department was also examining the feasibility of constructing a temporary diversion road to restore connectivity at the earliest.