A massive rain-triggered landslide erodes a hillside below residential houses in PWD Colony in Wokha town on July 20, leaving a house on the verge of collapse amid incessant monsoon rains.
Morung Express News
Wokha | July 20
Continuous heavy rainfall triggered multiple landslides across Nagaland's Wokha district, destroying houses, disrupting electricity supply and damaging public infrastructure, while authorities launched relief and restoration operations.
A landslide on Sunday afternoon damaged the 33 KV Wokha-Chukitong transmission line, snapping electricity supply to Chukitong and several adjoining villages.
Executive Engineer of the Electrical Division, Wokha, Er Chenosing Kemp said the landslide struck the transmission line between 2 pm and 3 pm, damaging electric poles and conductors.
Repair work has begun, but restoration is expected to take two to three days owing to the extent of the damage, difficult terrain and continuing rainfall, he said, appealing to consumers to bear with the inconvenience.
In another major incident, a fresh mudslide late on July 19 destroyed five houses and partially damaged two others in Lakhuti village, displacing several families.
According to Head Gaon Bura Orenthung Yanthan, the mudslide occurred along the boundary of Pangtilan Khel and Humtso Khel and followed an earlier landslide that had damaged the house of Wosumo Enni.
While no casualties were reported, mud, rocks and debris severely damaged the affected houses, destroyed retaining walls and rendered two houses unsafe for habitation. Two pigs weighing about 80-90 kg each were buried under the debris. The displaced families have taken shelter with relatives.
The mudslide also affected the UCO Bank staff quarters occupied by the branch manager, where mud and debris buried important office documents.
Extra Assistant Commissioner of Aitepyong, Er Moasanen Imsong, visited the affected area on Monday to assess the damage. The district administration provided immediate relief, including rice, eggs, cooking oil and pulses, while a detailed assessment of losses is underway.
Reports from Bhandari stated that the retaining wall had been completely destroyed and a house was at risk of collapse due to the landslide.
Also, three households at Forest Colony, Wokha were fully damaged due to a landslide triggered by continuous rainfall. The incident caused extensive damage to the affected houses, rendering them unsafe for habitation. DDMA Wokha distributed tarpaulins to the families affected by the landslide at Forest Colony, Wokha, as an immediate relief measure.
Meanwhile, three households at Forest Colony in Wokha town were completely damaged after another landslide triggered by continuous rainfall, rendering the houses unsafe for habitation.
In a separate incident on Monday morning, a massive landslide struck the PWD Colony in Wokha town, leaving a newly constructed house on the verge of collapse.
House owner Orenthung Odyuo said the landslide, which occurred between 7 am and 7.30 am, swept away the land surrounding the structure and destroyed a retaining wall built to protect the property. Although the house remains standing, large cracks have developed on the upper slope, raising fears of an imminent collapse.
No injuries were reported as the house was unoccupied. Two vehicles buried under mud and debris were later retrieved.
Odyuo said the family had rebuilt the house after their previous home was destroyed in a fire last year and claimed they had repeatedly appealed to the government since 2011-12 for the construction of a permanent retaining wall because of recurring landslides in the area.
He urged the authorities to inspect the site and take up the matter in the District Planning and Development Board meeting to facilitate construction of a permanent protective retaining wall before another disaster occurs.
