Landslide disrupts connectivity along Assam-Meghalaya border as Boko-Lumpi road cut off

Boko, July 28: The Lumpi area along the Assam-Meghalaya border was totally cut off after a massive landslide in the Langturi hills area at Boko on Saturday. The incident, triggered by continuous heavy rainfall over the past several days, occurred around 18 kilometres from Bako and resulted in large boulders and mudslides completely blocking the stretch.

Local sources confirmed that, fortunately, no casualties have been reported. However, the incident has cut off critical access for the residents of Lampi and adjoining villages such as Dronpara, Nowapara, Upper Lampi, and Harshnagar including around 30 villages. These communities, home to the Garo, Khasi, and Gorkha ethnic groups, are now struggling without access to food supplies, medical care, and other essential services typically routed through Bako or Guwahati.

In a particularly distressing situation, a pregnant woman from Lampi had to be manually assisted on foot through the dangerous terrain to reach a spot where an ambulance from Bako could arrive and transport her for urgent medical treatment on Saturday.

Prior to the incident, the State Public Works Department (PWD) had undertaken the construction of protective guard walls along the vulnerable route in an effort to prevent landslides and falling debris. However, unrelenting rains rendered the roadwork insufficient in the face of the natural onslaught.

PWD officials, including engineer Manik Dutta, visited the landslide-affected zone on Saturday evening. Dutta said that restoration efforts were underway and expressed hope that vehicular movement could resume within the next two to three days, depending on weather conditions and debris clearance progress.

The indefinite closure has underscored the urgent need for more resilient infrastructure in disaster-prone hill regions like Lampi, where a single road serves as a critical artery for thousands.