Eight people lost their lives on Friday in landslides triggered by heavy rain in Tigdo and Modirijo areas in the Itanagar capital region (ICR). Many of the deaths include young children. The heavy rainfall is expected to continue for a few more days. The people living along riversides and hills should be cautious and take precautions. The loss of eight lives is very unfortunate and the whole state mourns. The monsoon rain is creating havoc across the state, in particular the ICR. In various parts of the capital region landslides are being reported. Roads have been washed away, and in many areas buildings are on the verge of collapse.
It is being noticed that in many areas the cause for landslides is erratic construction activities being undertaken by the citizens. The blocking of natural streams and drains are the main cause of flooding and landslides. Further, the construction of buildings on hills without using proper engineering technology is also posing a threat. People randomly construct houses in hills without proper study. Apart from it, the illegal earth-cutting along the highways and sector/colony roads are contributing to the present situation. Sadly, nobody learns any lesson from it. Every year during monsoon such a situation is witnessed. But when the winter arrives, the people forget about it and move on with their daily routine. Even the district administration hardly cares about it. This attitude has to change if one wants to avoid tragedy like the one witnessed on Friday. The administration should start identifying all dangerous locations and start taking initiative to prevent loss of lives and properties.