ASDMA steps up Guwahati landslide alert after Maligaon slope collapse

GUWAHATI, July 21, 2026 — The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) has intensified its alert for Guwahati following the rain-triggered landslide in Maligaon that injured four members of a family, urging residents to remain vigilant as heavy monsoon rainfall continues to threaten vulnerable hillside settlements and low-lying areas across the city.

The renewed advisory comes a day after a section of hillside collapsed onto a residential house at Madhab Dev Nagar in the Maligaon Goshala area on Sunday evening. The house, belonging to Ranjit Das, was struck when loose soil, rocks and trees gave way following continuous rainfall. Das, his wife Sabitri Das and their two children were rescued by local residents with assistance from personnel of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and police before being shifted to hospital for treatment.

In its latest advisory issued on July 20, ASDMA, citing forecasts from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), warned that Guwahati could continue to experience moderate to heavy rainfall of 6 to 12 cm within 24 hours, increasing the likelihood of waterlogging, flooding, flash floods, traffic disruption and localized landslides in vulnerable pockets of the city. The authority said the Kamrup Metropolitan district administration and emergency response agencies have been placed on alert to respond to any developing situation.

The advisory also urged residents living in low-lying and hillside areas to remain alert for signs of flooding and slope instability, while requesting commuters to avoid unnecessary travel during periods of intense rainfall. ASDMA further appealed to public and private establishments to allow employees to work from home wherever feasible until weather conditions improve.

Separately, the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), Kamrup Metropolitan, has identified several locations as particularly vulnerable to landslides during the current monsoon. These include Madhab Dev Nagar behind Goshala, Kamakhya Main Road beyond Prashanti Lodge, Kamakhya Colony near Ganesh Mandir, Paschim Kamakhya Gaon near the water tanker and Pandu Temple Ghat. Residents in these localities have been advised to remain vigilant and immediately report any signs of slope movement or structural instability.

The latest incident comes as Assam battles a wider monsoon emergency. While flash floods triggered by heavy rainfall over the Nagaland hills have inundated large parts of Upper Assam, Guwahati continues to face a different but equally serious threat from rain-induced landslides caused by prolonged saturation of its hill slopes. Urban planners have repeatedly warned that indiscriminate hill cutting, encroachment and inadequate drainage have increased the city's vulnerability to slope failures during the monsoon.

Disaster management officials have appealed to residents to monitor official weather bulletins closely, avoid unstable hill slopes during heavy rain, and immediately contact emergency authorities if cracks develop on slopes, retaining walls or buildings, or if unusual soil movement is noticed.