ASDMA Orders Safe Shelters in Landslide-Prone Assam Districts

With the onset of the rainy season and the heightened risk of floods and landslides, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) on Thursday issued an urgent directive to all landslide-prone districts to identify and publicise safe shelters for at-risk populations.

In an official notification, ASDMA instructed the administrations of Cachar, Dima Hasao, Hailakandi, Kamrup, Kamrup Metro, Karbi Anglong, Sribhumi, and West Karbi Anglong districts to immediately map out landslide-prone areas and notify designated relief camps to house vulnerable residents in the event of a landslide. These shelters must be widely publicised to ensure easy accessibility for the affected population.

Emphasising the need for preparedness, the authority highlighted the importance of proactive relocation of residents from high-risk zones. Citing casualties recorded over the last three years in districts such as Cachar, Dima Hasao, Kamrup Metro, and Sribhumi, ASDMA's Chief Executive Officer Gyanendra Dev Tripathi urged those residing in the most vulnerable areas to voluntarily shift to safer locations during the monsoon period.

The directive comes as part of the state government’s broader disaster mitigation strategy, aimed at minimising loss of life and property during the monsoon months, when the state often grapples with heavy rainfall, flash floods, and terrain-triggered disasters.