Massive boulder triggers landslide in Guwahati; search underway for missing man

Guwahati, June 8: A landslide struck the Rupnagar area of Guwahati on the intervening night of June 7, demolishing two houses and leaving one person, identified as Maneswar Rajbongshi, missing in the debris.

The incident occurred as a massive boulder broke free from the hillside and rolled down with destructive force, highlighting the growing dangers of habitation in Guwahati’s landslide-prone zones.

Rescue operations led by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and local police are currently underway on a war footing.

Officials have expressed concern that the missing individual may not have survived the collapse. The rest of the Rajbongshi family reportedly managed to escape the disaster safely.

The landslide has once again raised alarms about the unchecked expansion and construction on Guwahati’s fragile hillsides.

The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) had recently issued advisories for residents in landslide-prone areas to shift to safer locations ahead of the monsoon season. However, with warnings unheeded, the consequences have turned tragic.

This latest incident follows closely on the heels of another deadly landslide on May 31 in the Bonda area on the outskirts of Guwahati, where three persons lost their lives after heavy rainfall triggered a slope collapse. That incident, too, was attributed to incessant monsoon showers.

Official data states Guwahati has 366 landslide-prone locations. Areas such as Sunsali Hill, Noonmati, Kharguli, Khanapara, Narangi, and Hengrabari top the list in terms of vulnerability. The unchecked urban sprawl and illegal constructions in these ecologically sensitive hill zones have significantly heightened the risk of monsoon-triggered disasters.

With monsoon rains looming, authorities have urged residents in vulnerable zones to remain vigilant.