Landslide affects road communication between Ganjam, Kandhamal districts of Odisha

Berhampur/Phulbani (Odisha), Sep 16 (PTI) Road communication between Ganjam and Kandhamal districts of Odisha was affected on Tuesday due to a landslide, officials said.

The massive landslide took place at Andharkote in Kalinga Ghat in G Udayagiri block of Kandhamal district in the afternoon due to incessant rainfall in the area, they said, adding no casualties have been reported.

The landslide damaged around 25 metres of National Highway 157, and traffic came to a standstill after the incident. Several vehicles, including buses, were stranded.

Officials of the Kandhamal district administration rushed to the spot to assess the situation.

"The damage is massive and there is no possibility of immediate restoration," G Udayagiri Block Development Officer (BDO) Sarat Kumar Mallick said.

He said that as several days will be required to repair the damaged stretch, traffic was being diverted through Dasapalla in Nayagarh district for communication between Berhampur and Phulbani.

Antanu Sahu, superintending engineer, NH circle, Sambalpur, said, "We will take steps to restore communication as quickly as possible. But as it is a massive landslide, the restoration work might take some time, especially due to the rainfall." The highway serves as a lifeline for several districts in Odisha, including Kandhamal, Boudh, Subarnapur, Bolangir, Bargarh, Koraput, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, and Malkangiri, and also connects adjoining Andhra Pradesh.

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) was engaged in road-widening in the stretch. Kalinga Ghat is the state's longest ghat road. PTI COR AAM AAM ACD