Guwahati, June 22
When it rains heavily for hours here, people living at the foot of numerous hillocks in and around the city are exposed to peril. It has been happening in all the recent years, thanks to rampant encroachment and mushrooming of dwelling houses of all kinds atop various landslide-prone hills and foothills.

Three more persons, including two children, were killed in sleep when their house collapsed under the force of a landslide triggered by incessant rainfall just before daybreak today at Lalungaon on the outskirts of Guwahati.

The police said the deceased were identified as Nimarai Choudhury (35), Rahul Choudhury (6) and Sasanka Baishya (3). Sasanka was a guest at the house of Isram Choudhury. The house was located at the foot of a hillock where the landslip occurred due to an hour-long rain.

Similar incident had occurred on May 2 last when two persons were killed due to hose collapse precipitated by landslide in another area in the city.

Lakhs of people have settled down encroaching upon government forest land at foothill areas in and around the city defying warning issued by the administration from time to time about the danger involved in both to life and environment.

Government’s efforts to evict such encroachers who are dangerously living atop hills as well as at foothills, is being stonewalled by various NGOs led by Krishak Mukti Sangram Samity (KMSS) that demands settlement of land to those people living illegally on government and forest and in and around Guwahati city.

The state government has already constituted a Cabinet Committee to examine the issue of demand for land settlement for landless people living on government forest land and wetland in and around Guwahati city. The Committee though has conducted several rounds of hearing, is yet to submit its report.