Meghalaya: Sonapur Tunnel Gets Blocked Again After Mud Accumulates from Landslides, Rescue Ops Started

SHILLONG: Traffic on the Sonapur or Sonapyrdi Tunnel, on the National Highway 6 in Meghalaya, has come to a standstill as it has been blocked again due to mudslides that occurred as a result of incessant rainfall in the area since Thursday night.

According to reports, the entrance of the tunnel was completely blocked on Friday morning due to accumulation of mud and debris brought down from nearby hills by the heavy rainfall. This has led to disruption of vehicular traffic on the National Highway 6, which connects Silchar and Badarpur via Shillong.

The blockages on the tunnel has become a major headache for the state administration and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), which is entrusted with the job of keeping the route open for vehicular traffic to and from Assam’s Barak Valley, as well as the neighbouring states.

According to sources, a number of vehicles have been stranded on both sides of the tunnel. Following the blockage of the tunnel, connectivity has also been completely snapped with neighboring states of Mizoram, Manipur and Tripura.

The Meghalaya Police, along with the district administration, has meanwhile started relentless clearing operations to make the tunnel free from the mud blocking it. However, there is no certainty as to when the road will again be reopened for movement of vehicles and general public.

Earlier in June, continuous landslides near the Sonapur tunnel made it impossible for the continuation of transportation through it. Landslides caused blockage at this tunnel located on the national highway 6, which connects Shillong to Silchar and beyond it.

On June 18, landslides caused by heavy rains caused blockage on this important tunnel which also connects parts of lower Assam to neighbouring states of Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.

Incessant and heavy rains over the past few days caused landslides which rendered ineffective all operations undertaken to clear the tunnel.

Even as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) along with the district administration continued clearing operations, it asked people to avoid taking the road as it struggled to clear the tunnel of the debris.

It took nearly 2 days for the traffic movement to resume through Sonapur Tunnel along the National Highway No. 6, which was blocked for the past few days due to continuous mudslides triggered by incessant rainfall, completely clearing it for the commuters, reports said.

Continuous efforts made by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and Meghalaya administration over the past few days made it possible for the movement of traffic through the tunnel.

Such frequent blockages resulting from landslides cause a major headache for commuters.

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