Kashedi Ghat Landslide Blocks Mumbai-Goa Highway for 12 Hours

A massive landslide carrying trees and vegetation blocked the Mumbai-Goa highway (NH-66) at the Kashedi Ghat section in Khed taluka, Ratnagiri district, around 1:30 AM on Monday. The incident forced a complete closure of the highway for approximately 12 hours, disrupting travel and prompting emergency clearing operations.

The landslide deposited debris measuring seven to eight feet high across a 250-to-300-meter stretch of the highway. While the Goa-bound corridor has since been cleared and restored for traffic, the Mumbai-bound corridor is expected to remain closed until Tuesday as clearing operations continue.

Public Works Department (PWD) Secretary Santosh Shelar confirmed that no injuries or vehicle damages were reported from the site. However, ongoing heavy rainfall has slowed down the recovery efforts.

"The Goa-bound carriageway has been restored for traffic movement, but the Mumbai corridor will be opened on Tuesday," Shelar said. "The debris is lying on a 250-300m-long stretch of NH-66. Neither was anyone injured nor was any vehicle damaged in the incident. Incessant rain continues to lash the area, affecting our operation."

As a safety precaution, authorities relocated one local family to a safer area. For stranded motorists stuck on the highway, monitoring teams distributed tea, snacks, and water, as there are no canteens nearby along the affected stretch of the ghat.

Due to the landslide and additional flooding that inundated two to three stretches in Roha taluka within Raigad district, authorities diverted traffic to Pune and the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.

Apart from the major blockage at Kashedi Ghat, officials reported petty landslides at the Parshuram ghat section in Ratnagiri, alongside minor boulder-fall incidents on other stretches of the highway. Various emergency teams remain on-site to monitor the situation and clear the remaining debris.