Landslide disrupts road connectivity between Ganjam and Kandhamal districts

Berhampur: Road connectivity between Ganjam and Kandhamal districts was disrupted on Tuesday afternoon following a massive landslide at Andharkote in Kalinga Ghat in Kandhamal’s G.Udayagiri block due to continuous rain. There have been no casualties, according to official sources.

The landslide damaged around 25 metres of the highway as large boulders and mounds of soil tumbled down from the hillside, bringing traffic to a complete standstill. Several vehicles, including buses, were stranded on both sides of the road.

Officials from Kandhamal district administration rushed to the site to assess the situation. “The damage is extensive and immediate restoration is not possible,” said Sarat Kumar Mallick, block development officer (BDO) of G.Udayagiri.

Given the scale of the disruption, authorities are working to divert traffic through Dasapalla in Nayagarh district to maintain connectivity between Berhampur and Phulbani.

The affected highway is a critical lifeline for multiple districts in Odisha, including Kandhamal, Boudh, Subarnapur, Balangir, Bargarh, Koraput, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, and Malkangiri, as well as for routes leading to Andhra Pradesh. Currently, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is undertaking widening work along this stretch of the highway.