Rajya Sabha MP Laltluangkima Khiangte has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, requesting enhanced financial and technical assistance to address recurring landslides and other rain-related natural calamities in Mizoram during the ongoing monsoon.
The MP’s letter, dated August 13, highlights the severity of the situation, citing over 100 major incidents across the state, including 74 landslides, rockfalls, retaining-wall collapses, storms, land subsidence, and mudflows. These figures do not account for numerous smaller incidents that have caused disruption and hardship in towns and localities.
Khiangte emphasized the repeated disruption of road connectivity, which he described as the lifeline of the mountainous state. Major landslides along NH-54A in Lunglei district have caused prolonged road blockages, stranded travelers, and damage to residential properties. Rockfalls at Ngaizel in Aizawl have also affected an important road, impacting access to southern Mizoram and two major hospitals.
The MP acknowledged the efforts of the Mizoram government, district disaster management authorities, and local community organizations in responding to the disasters. However, he stressed that the scale and recurring nature of the disasters, combined with Mizoram’s difficult terrain and limited resources, require support beyond the state’s existing capacity.
Khiangte called for a comprehensive, long-term strategy for landslide mitigation and disaster-resilient infrastructure. He sought Central assistance for permanent slope stabilisation, landslide mitigation, and hazard-mitigation measures, as well as landslide early-warning systems, geological monitoring, and hazard mapping.
The MP also requested additional assistance under the State Disaster Response Fund and other relevant Central schemes and funding mechanisms. He emphasized the need for financial, technical, and infrastructural support for both immediate restoration and long-term disaster mitigation, citing Mizoram’s difficult terrain, geographical isolation, and strategic location in the Northeast.
This appeal comes a day after Khiangte raised the issue of natural calamities in Mizoram as a Special Mention in the Rajya Sabha on August 12 during the ongoing monsoon session.
