Guwahati, May 23 (UNI) The State Disaster Management Authority of Assam (ASDMA) has asked people living in landslide-prone areas to shift to safer places of their choice for the rainy season.

The ASDMA directive came following prediction from the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) that Assam and other parts of the northeast may witness heavy to very heavy rainfall in the days to come. Although southwest monsoon is likely to hit Assam in the first week of June, the rains have already started this year.

Taking into consideration the casualties in the last three years in landslide vulnerable districts of Cachar, Dima Hasao, Kamrup Metro and Sribhumi, districts ASDMA chief executive officer, Gyanendra Dev Tripathi, requested people living in most landslide prone vulnerable areas to shift to safer places of their choice.

The ASDMA has also directed all the landslide prone districts of the state to identify the safe shelters (relief camps) for the people vulnerable to landslides during the flood season and also relocate such vulnerable populations to reduce the possibility loss of lives.

While incessant rains led to flash floods in Assam’s capital town Guwahati earlier this week, there are also reports of landslides taking place in Guwahati. However, there is no report of any major damage or human causality so far, ASDMA officials said.

UNI AS PRS