Brahmapur: Vehicular movement on the Taptapani Ghat stretch of National Highway 326 along the Ganjam-Gajapati border in Odisha resumed after engineers repaired a portion that had caved in due to heavy rainwater flowing down the hills.
The 20-ft damaged stretch near Belgada village had prompted police and administration to seal the road by erecting temporary barricades, disrupting traffic on this vital route connecting several southern Odisha districts with neighbouring states.
Torrential rain on Thursday night also triggered landslides at Taptapani, Kaliborei, Chhedanai and Palukhala, with huge rocks, soil and uprooted trees blocking parts of the highway. Water from the hills reportedly flowed across the road at a height of nearly three feet at some locations.
Engineers from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Sanakhemundi Fire Service and Patapur police personnel carried out initial clearance operations. NHAI authorities are continuing to remove accumulated soil and boulders using heavy machines.
