In the wake of a fatal landslide that has once again exposed the fragility of the Shillong–Pynursla–Dawki road, the Meghalaya government has ordered the temporary closure of a hazardous stretch under Package 2, even as it moves towards fresh land acquisition to address recurring slope failures and rockfall threats on what has increasingly come to be allegedly known as a “death trap”.
Two persons lost their lives after being trapped inside a Mahindra Bolero Camper when massive boulders crashed onto the vehicle following a landslide at Mawlieh along the Shillong–Dawki Road around 5:30 pm on Monday. The incident occurred before Lyngkyrdem on the route to Pynursla — a stretch notorious for landslides due to ongoing road widening and hill-cutting works. The victims, residents of Lumwahnai near Pynursla, were returning home from Shillong after buying groceries when loose earth suddenly caved in, triggering the boulder fall. Rescue teams worked late into the evening to clear heavy debris and reach the vehicle.
The tragedy has amplified long-standing safety concerns surrounding Package 2 of the project, the road that witnesses heavy tourist and local traffic each month but remains highly vulnerable to landslides, especially in areas such as Mawlieh, Lyngkyrdem and Rngain. Civil society groups have repeatedly warned that the stretch poses a serious risk to commuters, alleging inadequate safety measures amid ongoing construction.
Amid mounting concern, a multi-agency inspection involving civil authorities, police and project implementing agencies was conducted immediately after the incident. Officials acknowledged that the affected portion remains unstable and unsafe for vehicular movement, prompting immediate closure even as long-term mitigation efforts are being initiated.
“Yesterday itself I instructed my SDO civil and the team of police under the leadership of SDPO Pynursla and I have spoken and directed the NHIDCL along with their team and the even the company who is implementing this package 2 project to again go to the details the reason behind the falling of this huge boulder leading to the death of two persons,” Deputy Chief Minister in charge of PWD, Prestone Tynsong, said.
“I have directed and again today they went, the whole team even at the level of my executive engineer (PWD) in presence of SDO Civil, BDO, all the stakeholders today we have decided that temporarily this road should be closed. It may happen two three days, but my humble request to all the concerned stakeholders to specially people from my constituency to bear with us because now we would like to attend to this portion specially which is not at all safe for plying that particular place,” he said.
“Now the decision has been that further land acquisition has to take place. That is the line of action that We would like to further acquire that portion so that landslides can be cleared once and for all,” he added.
The proposed land acquisition, officials indicated, is aimed at enabling slope stabilisation and widening of the hilly stretch to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Even as infrastructure expansion continues, questions are intensifying over whether early warning signs were overlooked. The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) has engaged experts to conduct a vulnerability study of the stretch, though this has done little to quell public concern over the road’s safety record.
Calling the stretch a “death trap”, Hynñiewtrep Youths’ Council president Roy Kupar Synrem said, “We cannot wait till more person died or till more people dies. We have heard that since 2023 till date, about nine persons have lost their lives in that stretch of package 2. So, it has becoming death trap for people to commute in that road because no one is saved to even travel through that road. There are no proper demarcation, no proper barricades, no proper lighting, and as per the information that we get from the people from the locals, is that the construction work is done in such a way that it puts the people were traveling through that road in a danger. So in a way we can say that this package 2 of Shillong Pynursla Dawki road is a death trap because we have lost many lives, properties and we have to ensure that these kind of things doesn’t happen in future.”
The crisis has also reached the judiciary, with the Hynñiewtrep Youths’ Council moving the Meghalaya High Court through a public interest letter petition seeking urgent intervention, including road safety audits, regulated traffic movement in construction zones and accountability for lapses.
Project sources said NHIDCL currently has 12 ongoing projects in the State, with the Shillong–Dawki road divided into five packages. While Package 1 is expected to be completed by the end of April, other stretches continue to face terrain instability and logistical hurdles, including land acquisition issues in Package 3. Expert assessments have already flagged vulnerabilities within Package 2, with officials indicating that critical locations would not be worked on during the monsoon season. “Certain parts of the areas under Package 2 is vulnerable,” sources said, adding, “Critical location will not be touched during rainy season. Likely one and half years to two years time for conclusion.”
Despite round-the-clock debris clearance, fresh rockfalls have continued to threaten both commuters and workers, forcing intermittent restrictions on vehicular movement in the affected stretch.
As machines continue to carve through fragile hillsides in the name of connectivity, the Shillong–Dawki road stands at a crossroads — where the promise of development is increasingly weighed against the cost of human lives, and where, for many, each journey has become a quiet negotiation with risk.
Meghalaya Shuts Stretch on Shillong–Dawki Road After Fatal Landslide, Plans Land Acquisition
