Kalinga Ghat remains closed to vehicular traffic on NH-157 in Odisha’s Kandhamal district after recent landslides, with an IIT Delhi expert team set to examine slope stability and recommend permanent safety and restoration measures, officials said on Sunday.
The decision followed a site inspection by Works Department principal secretary Sanjay Kumar Singh, who visited two landslide-prone locations in the ghat section after a spell of heavy rain. The affected points are located at kilometre 86.380 and kilometre 86.675, where officials said the impact was severe.
The IIT Delhi team will conduct detailed geographical and slope stability studies to determine the causes of the slope failures. Its findings will guide the state government’s reconstruction and road restoration works on the affected stretches, according to officials.
The closure is intended to prevent vehicles from entering sections considered unsafe. During the inspection, Singh directed officials to remove loose rocks, unstable soil and debris that could threaten commuters. He also instructed authorities not to permit vehicular movement through unsafe sections until adequate protective measures are put in place.
Temporary arrangements are being made at one of the affected locations to facilitate controlled single-lane traffic. Before the route is reopened, officials said safety works will include traffic control and channelisation across a stretch of about 400 metres on either side of the landslide zone.
The sequence of measures places immediate traffic safety ahead of restoring normal movement on the highway. It also indicates that reopening will depend on both emergency clearance and protective works at the affected locations. The longer-term engineering response will be finalised after the IIT Delhi team submits its assessment and recommendations.
Kalinga Ghat is a strategically important road section in Kandhamal, where a closure can disrupt movement through the hilly corridor. For commuters and freight operators, the immediate issue is access through the affected NH-157 stretch, while the engineering study will determine how the road can be stabilised against further slope failures.
Officials have not announced a specific reopening date. The route will remain restricted until emergency safety measures, traffic channelisation and protective arrangements are considered adequate, after which the state government will proceed with reconstruction and restoration based on the expert recommendations.
