Landslides damage 32 homes in Sikkim village as officials weigh long-term safety

Families in Rimbi, a village in Sikkim’s Gyalshing district, face an uncertain future after repeated landslides and flash floods damaged homes and forced residents into temporary shelter. The damage picture described by local panchayat president Mangal Rai and Sikkim Disaster Relief Commissioner Rinzing Chewang includes at least 32 houses and four government quarters. Officials are now questioning whether the village can remain a safe place to live.

Chewang, who inspected the area on September 25, said recurring landslides from the Singlitam slope above Rimbi could make the village uninhabitable. That assessment raises the prospect of a wider move to safer ground. It should not, however, be mistaken for confirmation that a formal declaration or permanent relocation order has been issued.

The immediate concern is where displaced residents can stay while the slope remains unstable. Chewang said 107 people were accommodated at a relief camp in the Gram Prasasan Kendra, a local administrative centre, at the time of his assessment. He said residents of nine houses in nearby Singlitam had also been evacuated to a separate camp. Those figures describe the situation reported after his inspection, not a confirmed live count for every affected household on September 28.

Damage built up through repeated flooding and slides

Rimbi’s losses did not come from a single burst of bad weather. Landslide activity has affected the Rimbi–Singlitam area since August, with further heavy rain sending mud, rocks and water toward homes below the slope. Rai, the local panchayat president, said 32 households had been left without homes or land. The reported structural toll of at least 32 houses and four government quarters includes damage of varying severity; it does not mean every building was destroyed.

Conditions have also disrupted routes residents depend on to move between communities and reach services. In a September 15 assessment, the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority said debris had accumulated in a stream above Rimbi and that rain could carry more material into the village. The authority warned that accumulated water and debris could cause further damage if suddenly released.

The same state assessment said 28 households, comprising 128 people, had been moved to the Rimbi Gram Panchayat Kendra following flooding on September 14. That earlier evacuation figure should not be added to Chewang’s later count of 107 people in the camp: the two numbers were recorded on different dates and describe changing shelter arrangements.

The danger reaches beyond houses. The state disaster authority said an early-childhood services centre below the expanding landslide area had flooded and that the department responsible had been advised to examine a move to a safer location. Officials have also worked on debris clearance, water supply and temporary access for residents affected by the damaged road.

What happens next for displaced families?

Chewang said a multidisciplinary geological survey is planned after the monsoon to examine the landslide and its causes. That study could help officials judge which parts of Rimbi, if any, are suitable for continued occupation. Until then, his warning about habitability remains a serious safety assessment rather than a confirmed final decision on the village’s future.

Chewang also outlined assistance for families facing lasting losses. He said those whose houses were completely damaged would be eligible for ₹1.3 lakh in relief, with other damage assessed under applicable rules. Under the Sikkim Housing Scheme, he said, families who lost their land would be provided alternative land and a house, while families who retained land would receive support to build. The timing and location of any permanent resettlement have not been confirmed.

Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang has directed authorities to monitor affected areas and prioritise residents’ safety. The Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority has urged people in vulnerable locations to follow evacuation directions, stay away from active slide zones and avoid streams and drainage channels during heavy rain. For families in the relief camps, the pressing question is not only when they can leave temporary shelter, but whether returning home will be safe at all.