On shaky ground: 12 years of uncertainty for Douglas colony, Mon

KOHIMA — Sinking soil, cracks opening in walls and streets, landslides, and a sense of insecurity are what residents of Douglas Colony in Tanlao ward, Mon headquarters, have been experiencing every monsoon over the past 12 years.

Despite this, little help has come from the government, the residents claimed.

Some families have moved away from the colony over the years, while others who cannot afford to buy plot of land in other locations continue to live there despite the risk of losing their homes and even their lives. For them, life during winter is peaceful but summer season is a nightmare.

An elderly member of the colony, S Lounglang Konyak, who has been residing in the colony since 1979, gave a firsthand account of the difficulties faced by its residents over the years.  

Speaking with Eastern Mirror, he said the landslides and subsidence in the colony started in 2012, and continues to this day, affecting many households and the normal lives of residents.

When landslides first struck in 2012, a total of 42 households were affected. During that time, the state government provided a total of INR 1,684,000 in relief assistance. This was distributed not only to the 42 affected households but also to the remaining 36 households in the colony that were unharmed, he maintained.

He said that a retaining wall might avert landslides, but he cannot afford raw materials for it.

In this regard, he said that he had written to the government for assistance on several occasions, for building retaining walls but did not receive any response. He added that he has lost hope and does not want to approach the authorities again.

He noted that before he arrived in the colony, landslides and subsidence had occurred in the upper area of the colony, but the sections currently affected were untouched in those earlier days.

Birthday turned into nightmare

For another resident, Lemoi Konyak, a day of celebration turned into a nightmare as they had to run for safety following a landslide.

On her daughter’s birthday, which fell on September 1, 2015, the family narrowly escaped landslides that struck their house and destroyed it.

“The landslides could have killed my daughter that day if it was not for my son, Thangna Konyak, who shouted to run for safety,” she recalled.

She said that her house was the most affected in the colony that year but they did not receive assistance from the housing scheme (Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin).

That year, the Deputy Commissioner of Mon visited her house and provided INR 10,000 in relief assistance. The DC also provided varying levels of financial support to other affected households, with larger sums going to those more impacted.

Latter, the government gave INR 3,000 each to every household, she said.

‘Now, not only mudslides; the flow of underground water also never stops. During heavy rain in summer, water flows through our kitchen and living room, which makes us unable to cook and eat food. It makes our lives miserable, but we don’t have any place to go,’ she rued.

‘Once a joyful place, now quiet’

Nokom Konyak, a colony youth member, said that when the whole world was afraid of the ‘end of the world in 2012’, it eventually came to Douglas colony.

He recalled that the landslides initially started with small patches of soil cracking and sinking across various homes. Each summer, this pattern persisted, the cracks expanding and deepening.

“The most devastating moment started on September 1, 2015, when the landslides destroyed my friend’s house which nearly killed even his sister (referring to Lemoi Konyak’s daughter). It was very alarming; all my colony members started evacuating after this incident. Almost every household moved to another location,” he said.

The newly constructed building and compound of the Edith Douglas School was also destroyed and compelled to relocate.

“The colony, which was most joyful and noisy, became a very quiet place, like a house from a horror movie. It was so painful for me because all my friends left my colony, and I didn’t have anyone to accompany me. After years, some of them returned because they didn’t have anywhere to go,” Nokom Konyak said.

During those times, most of the elderly people had a ‘superstitious belief’ that the landslides and soil sinking were caused by evil spirits.

Often, colony members would gather to pray and fast for days, he added. 

Between a landslide and a hard place

Toishei Konyak moved to the colony in 2017, because the rent where she used to live was costly, and her brother’s house in Douglas Colony, while affected by the landslides, offered her a rent-free option.

During winter, there are no issues, but in summer, the sinking and landslides occur every year, she said.

Caught in between the inability to maintain the cost of living and the ever-present threat of natural disaster, summer is a terrifying time for her, as the landslides are unpredictable but her family simple cannot afford to purchase land elsewhere, as most of her income is dedicated to their children’s education.

However, if the landslides continue, she said that she would be left with no option but to leave, though the thought of leaving the colony fills her with dread.

As a daily wage earner, she is aware that spending on rent, besides expenses on her children’s education, would be a crushing burden for her family.

Meanwhile, just like any other summer since 2012, the residents are still experiencing landslides, subsidence, and expanding of cracks even this year.

(The writer is a Journalism and Mass Communication student at Nagaland University, Lumami. He is currently an intern at Eastern Mirror)