NDMA team surveys landslide-affected areas in Mangan district of Sikkim

Gangtok: A team of experts from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Wednesday conducted a comprehensive survey of the landslide-affected areas in Sikkim’s Mangan district, officials said.

Along with officials of the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA), the NDMA team led by Deputy Commandant Rajat Malhotra visited Mangshila, Naga, Sanklang and Phidang areas.

They identified several key factors, including heavy rainfall, steep slopes, challenging topography and unstable soil conditions, as triggers for landslide occurrence in the strategically located Mangan district of north Sikkim.

The team also documented significant damage to infrastructure, including roads, homes and agricultural land, in addition to the displacement of local people and the impact on the local economy and livelihoods, the researchers said.

The NDMA team also spoke to the locals, recorded their complaints and assured them of long-term solutions to their problems.

The team was briefed by Anant Jain, District Magistrate of Mangan, about the overall situation in the region due to the natural disaster. He suggested that the previous reports on the matter should be taken into consideration to understand the gravity of the situation.

The visiting NDMA officials said that a comprehensive report will be submitted to the higher authorities and the ministry concerned so that a long-term plan can be drawn up to address the problem.

Heavy rains in Mangan district last month left roads badly damaged, stranding some 1,500 tourists for a week and killing six people.