Shillong (Meghalaya), April 27: A Voice of the People Party (VPP) MDC has petitioned Union Minister Nitin Gadkari for urgent intervention after at least 10 people died since 2023 on the Shillong–Pynursla–Dawki road due to landslides, falling boulders, and unsafe construction zones.
In his letter to the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, the VPP MDC from Lyngkyrdem–Laitkroh, Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council, called the vital corridor a “death trap” and said ongoing road-widening works have worsened risks for commuters and tourists. He cited a recent incident near Mawlieh where two persons were killed after a landslide sent massive boulders crashing onto their vehicle and noted several cases of vehicles plunging into deep gorges along the stretch.
The MDC said the road is a lifeline for East Khasi Hills and connects popular destinations like Dawki, Shnongpdeng, and Mawlynnong. Prolonged delays and poor safety measures are hurting tourism, local livelihoods, and emergency medical access, with residents facing grave risks during critical hospital runs.
He alleged systemic failure in road safety during construction, pointing to violations of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, IRC standards, and work-zone guidelines. Absence of warning signage, reflectors, and crash barriers in high-risk zones, unscientific hill-cutting, poorly managed diversions, and lack of monitoring have turned the route hazardous, he said. Continued exposure of commuters to these conditions amounts to gross negligence and violates the Right to Life under Article 21, the letter stated.
The VPP MDC urged Gadkari to order an independent safety audit of the entire stretch, install crash barriers and slope stabilization measures, ensure proper signage and lighting, review hill-cutting practices, fix accountability on contractors, and expedite permanent remedial work. He said he has received multiple complaints from residents and stakeholders in his constituency over the deteriorating conditions.
