Guwahati: Heavy rain triggered landslides at several locations in Guwahati, including Kharguli and Chandmari, on Saturday evening, prompting authorities to assess vulnerable hill slopes across the city.Officials said no casualty or damage to homes had been reported. Debris was removed soon after the landslides, said Kaustav Talukdar, project officer with the District Disaster Management Authority.“We have begun assessing the affected areas to determine the causes of the landslides. Such landslides do not occur on their own, and people residing in hilly areas are always exposed to a certain degree of risk. There have also been instances of earth cutting in the hilly areas in the past, which have now been brought under control,” Talukdar said.An official of the district administration said Kharguli, where three landslides have reportedly occurred this monsoon, is particularly vulnerable because of its hilly and undulating terrain. Prolonged rain can saturate the soil, weaken slopes and trigger the movement of earth and debris, the official added.According to a rainfall figure attributed to India Meteorological Department, Guwahati recorded 132mm of rain up to Sunday. However, the period covered by the figure was not clear and requires verification.Officials said vulnerable locations would continue to be monitored and response teams would attend to any further rain-related incidents.
