Landslide Halts Rs 250 Million Road Project in Odisha

23 Jun 2025 CW Team

A major landslide triggered by intense overnight rainfall has struck a key road-widening site near Kalinga Ghat in Odisha’s Kandhamal district, causing a section of a newly built hill embankment to give way. The incident, which occurred late on Monday night, fortunately resulted in no casualties.

Initial reports indicate that a stone-reinforced retaining wall, constructed as part of an ongoing highway expansion project, collapsed due to water saturation, sending large amounts of debris cascading down the hillside.

Two heavy-duty JCB machines stationed at the site were dragged downhill as the unstable ground beneath them collapsed. Officials confirmed that no personnel were present at the immediate location during the incident.

The Rs 250 million infrastructure project, aimed at widening and securing the accident-prone stretch of the Kalinga Ghat road, has now been temporarily suspended pending a full technical assessment. The project has been under development for over two years and was intended to improve safety and traffic flow in the region’s steep terrain.

According to engineers, the embankment—reinforced with stone blocks to stabilise the hill’s edge—failed to withstand the intense downpour, highlighting the vulnerability of such structures in monsoon-prone, hilly regions.

Though the incident appears to be caused by natural factors, district authorities have ordered a detailed inspection of the site. The findings of this technical evaluation will guide potential modifications in the construction approach and determine the revised timeline for the resumption of work.

The event has sparked broader concerns about the resilience of hill-road infrastructure during seasonal extremes, particularly with the increasing frequency of heavy rainfall events.

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