A landslide struck Jorabat 10-Mile near Guwahati early on Friday, damaging machinery at a petrol pump and hitting a bus parked inside the station, while no casualties were reported. The incident occurred on a key route connecting Assam and Meghalaya, near a private university.
Large chunks of earth fell from the Meghalaya side of the hill at around 3am and entered the fuel station premises. Parts of the fuel dispensing unit and other machinery were damaged in the impact. A bus parked inside the station was also hit.
An official from the Kamrup (Metro) district administration said the incident had not caused significant damage or hindered the movement of vehicles on the route. Excavators had been dispatched to clear the soil debris, the official said.
The incident also led employees at the fuel pump to evacuate the premises after small rocks began falling. An employee told the media that the hill was approximately 15 metres from the petrol pump. The employee said staff members were inside a building when they noticed the falling rocks and moved out quickly.
The employee also said there was no work taking place at the site and that it had not been raining when the landslide occurred. The cause of the immediate slope failure was not established in the report.
The district administration official cited rampant hill cutting as one factor behind such incidents. The official said illegal earth cutting in hilly areas could increase the risk of erosion and landslides, block drains and threaten lives and property in adjoining areas.
“Earth cutting in hill areas is prohibited as it can increase the risk of erosion and landslides and pose a threat to life and property in adjoining areas,” the official said. Such activity could also have implications for Guwahati by causing drainage blockages and environmental damage, the official added.
Experts quoted in the report said the consequences of hill cutting may not appear immediately. Altering a slope can weaken its stability over time, they said, while intense rainfall can trigger a landslide years after earth has been removed.
The Jorabat incident highlights the exposure of roadside commercial premises and transport corridors located close to altered hill slopes. Fuel stations, parked vehicles and nearby buildings can face risks even when the road itself remains open to traffic.
The immediate response focused on removing the soil debris and keeping vehicle movement largely unaffected. Further action will depend on the assessment of the slope and the authorities’ response to the reported risks associated with hill cutting in the area.
