GUWAHATI, June 28 � A few more spells of heavy shower could wreck havoc in several landslide-prone areas in Guwahati where people are spending sleepless night fearing disastrous mudslides that had killed four persons in Guwahati yesterday.
Artificial flood and electrocution claimed nine lives in Guwahati yesterday. The body of Vivek Saha (18), who was drowned in Bharalu at Anil Nagar yesterday, was recovered this morning near Bhangagarh.
Though unofficial sources claimed three more death cases in Ghoramara, Noonmati and Bhetapara, official sources, however, denied any fresh death incident due to flash flood and landslide. However, one Mustakin Khan, a wage labourer died yesterday due to an accident and the incident was not related to the city deluge, claimed the sources.
An alert has been sounded at Bonkonwar Nagar of Kharghuli area that witnessed landslides at several places affecting normal life of the people. Two arterial roads of the area have been affected as a massive chunk of loose earth fell apart on Thursday night at two places narrowing down one road and blocking a stretch of another road. A brick wall and veranda of a resident also collapsed due to landslide.
Nearly 25 families living on the foothills of a hillock in Bonkonwar Nagar fear a big disaster, if there is another downpour in the area. A nearly 20-metre stretch of a road witnessed landslide with earth falling near the houses of people living on the foothills. Kiran Das, whose house is adjacent to the hills, told The Assam Tribune that the same area witnessed landslide 2012 and the road was constructed in the year 2013. �Originally a 12-feet road, it has now been reduced to four feet,� she said, adding that a guard wall is a must to protect the road.
On Thursday night, the people woke up at around 1.30 am due to a weird sound of landslide. �As there was no electricity in the area then, people of the area spent sleepless night monitoring the situation with torch lights,� said Pradeep Roy, member of the local Unnayan Samity.
In another part of Bonkonwar Nagar, the wall and veranda of the house of one Biren Choudhury was completely pulled down by landslide. Several steep cuts were witnessed on the hill area exposing many houses to a bigger disaster. Beltola area also witnessed landslide damaging several shops.
As the city reeled under water logging and landslide damages, the administration is having a tough time providing relief to people with limited resources. An alert has been sounded in Kharghuli and Zoo Road area to evacuate people from vulnerable places. Plastic tarpaulin has been distributed in landslide-prone areas. The district administration also distributed eatables and drinking water in the water logging-affected areas. Motors installed to pump out water from the lanes and by-lanes of the flood affected areas, however, have failed to provide any relief to the flood-stuck residents.
�We are now concentrating on Rajgarh, Anil Nagar and Nabin Nagar areas. Apart from providing flood relief to the people, the areas are being sanitized with bleaching powder and phenol. We appeal to the landslide-affected people to cooperate with the administration and evacuate the vulnerable places during night,� said Additional Deputy Commissioner Dhrubajyoti Das.
