Meghalaya rains trigger landslides, cut off major tourist destination; Northeast on alert

The Deputy Commissioner of East Khasi Hills has announced the closure of the Shillong-Dawki road from the landslide site onwards “until further notice”, stating that the NHIDCL has indicated that repair and restoration work is likely to take a few days. The district administration has advised all commuters, including tourists, to avoid the Shillong-Dawki road and use alternate routes.

Landslides have also been reported along national highways and in other hilly areas, including Assam’s Dima Hasao district and Manipur’s Senapati district, disrupting travel.

The Regional Meteorological Centre in Assam has issued a special weather bulletin warning of heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in several parts of the region until June 24.

The East Khasi Hills district administration has advised commuters to use the alternative routes through Sohra and Dawki.

Meanwhile, monsoon floods have begun to set in parts of north and upper Assam, particularly in Dhemaji district, where a total of 14,562 people were affected by flooding till Monday evening, according to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority. Relief centres have also been set up in Dhemaji and Lakhimpur districts.