PYNURSLA:
Deputy Chief Minister incharge of PWD (Roads) Prestone Tynsong, on April 15, said that the East Khasi Hills district administration will file an FIR and a case will be registered in connection with the April 14 landslide along the Shillong-Dawki Road at Rngain near Pynursla.
“After a case is registered, investigation will follow to find out who is responsible for such lapses – be it National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (NHIDCL) or the company working on this project – the ARSS Infrastructure Projects Ltd and subsequently, action will be taken,” Tynsong told reporters after inspecting the accident site on Saturday.
Two people were reportedly crushed in a landslide that occurred on April 14 evening. The two men, one of whom is said to be the rangbah shnong of Wahlyngkhat, are yet to be found.
When asked about the timeline to clear the road, Tynsong, who is also the local MLA, said that their priority is to find the missing men. “This was a massive landslide. As of now, we will try to retrieve the bodies and after that, we will think about how to clear the debris. We can’t clear the stretch because the search and rescue team, including volunteers from the different villages, are still down there to locate the two men,” he said.
Tynsong has also ordered the two NHIDCL engineers, who were present at the site, to immediately bring experts from IIT-Guwahati to study the condition of the soil and the topography of the stretch at Rngain before going ahead with the construction work.
When asked whether compensation will be given to the families of the two men, Tynsong said, “Let’s not talk about that now. It is too early. Like I said, experts from IIT-Guwahati will study the condition of soil and the area first and I will also hold a review meeting on Monday to discuss about the issue.”
This stretch of road falls under Package II of the Shillong-Dawki road widening project under NHIDCL, of which, the construction work has been awarded to ARSS Infrastructure Projects Ltd.