PHULABANI: A month-long closure of Kalinga Ghat on National Highway-157 has disrupted life along the Kandhamal-Ganjam border, pushing up the cost of essential commodities, crippling roadside businesses and forcing commuters and goods carriers to take a detour of around 50 km.
Amid growing public resentment over the delay in restoring traffic, a three-member team of experts from IIT Delhi inspected the landslide-affected stretches on Sunday to recommend a permanent solution. The closure followed landslides triggered by incessant rainfall, including a massive boulder fall at the spot where the road had remained blocked for 47 days last year.
The falling rock damaged the road and guard walls on both sides. Road-widening work near Andharakote also collapsed, further complicating restoration. The prolonged disruption has increased transportation costs, adding to the burden on consumers already struggling with rising prices.
Tea stalls, hotels, roadside eateries and restaurants in Durgaprasad and Kalinga Ghat have reportedly shut down due to the sharp decline in traffic and customers, leaving hundreds of families dependent on these businesses facing financial hardship.
The expert team comprising IIT Delhi professors G V Raman, Prashant Bhangla and Sumit Sinha, accompanied by locals officials, visited Kalinga Ghat to assess the condition of the affected slopes, examine the possible causes of the landslides and suggest measures to minimise future risks.
HMBS Textiles Pvt Ltd has been entrusted with work related to the proposed intervention. The experts will prepare a technical report and submit recommendations to the authorities. The inspection assumes significance as residents continue to question the delay in reopening the highway. Although the large boulder that fell this year was removed within two days, and some rocks lodged higher up the hillside were subsequently blasted, traffic remains suspended.
The proposed project envisages road widening, landslide-risk mitigation measures and reconstruction of a minor culvert. An innovative reinforced earth composite or hybrid system has been proposed as part of the engineering intervention. The measures are aimed at addressing the vulnerabilities of the stretch and improving its long-term stability.
