Nagaland: Landslides ravage 251 households in Tuensang; Minister pledges relief and support

Tuensang District was hit hard by a series of landslides triggered by recent heavy rainfall, affecting 251 households and displacing around 150 residents. Minister for PWD, Housing, and Mechanical Engineering, P Bashang Chang, visited the affected areas on Sunday to offer support and solidarity.

During his visit, Chang met with the displaced families taking refuge in two relief camps—Old Church and C/Khel ground—established by the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) and local village councils. Among the evacuees are 57 students, including 30 boys and 27 girls. The landslides have left 11 homes completely destroyed.

The most severely affected areas include NST Ward and Phinjang Colony, though damage was also reported in St John B, Post Office Sector, and High School B. Chang emphasized that despite the scale of the disaster, there were no fatalities, attributing the lack of casualties to effective precautionary measures.

Chang expressed his personal empathy, recalling past similar disasters. He assured that the government's response would be comprehensive, with plans to address the recurrent issue of landslides, particularly in NST Ward, which has faced three major landslides in recent years.

The minister called for collaboration from the Chang Khulei Setshang (CKS) and other local leaders to compile detailed reports, which will be presented to the chief minister for further action. He also directed district administration and DDMA to address all aspects of the disaster thoroughly.

Chang personally visited all affected sites, providing financial aid and urging the Tuensang community to contribute in any way possible. He thanked the dedicated teams working at the relief camps, including district administration, DDMA, medical teams, NDRF, fire services, and security forces.