As the monsoon rains intensify, reports of deaths and destruction are pouring in from various parts of the state. Two children died on Thursday in a government residential school in Tawang district when a portion of the hostel’s wall collapsed due to a landslide. This comes days after four people were killed when a vehicle carrying them fell down into the Passa river in Pakke-Kessang district. In several areas, the roads have been badly damaged, and large parts of the state remain cut off from the rest of the country.
In the state capital itself the situation has turned grim with the condition of the roads deteriorating and the rivers in spate. The administration keeps issuing warning to the people living near landslide-prone areas to move to safer places, but not many people follow the instruction of the authorities, thereby putting themselves at risk. Also, as the monsoon intensifies across the state, the authorities should conduct regular surveys and issue necessary instructions from time to time, based on the input received. The local people should also avoid travelling during this time of the year unless there is an urgent work. With heavy rains predicted throughout the state in the days to come, the situation is expected to get worse. Everyone, including the authorities concerned and the citizens, should remain alert and be on the safe side.