Kinley Wangchuk | Intern

With landslides and incessant rain eroding slopes along the Langjuphaka-Lungtenzampa road, residents of makeshift huts above Dechenzam in Thimphu, are worried.

There are 21 huts housing families of daily wage workers of Thimphu thromde in the area.

Residents said they are scared their huts would slide down anytime.

A hut slid during the landslide last week. Some other huts were also damaged. Toilets of some huts hang above the slide, ready to come down.

It was learnt thromde officials told them they would be relocated.

Residents claimed thromde officials shifted three families, who were affected by the landslide to Babesa temporarily, but with about 21 families living in the landslide prone area, residents are worried a mishap might occur before thromde could relocate them.

A resident, who works for thromde, said thromde might take months to relocate them.

“It’s peak monsoon and I worry we will die in the landslide,” a resident said. “I have small children and nowhere to go.”

Another resident said it would take at least two to three months for thromde administration to relocate all the households or families. “Officials told us we would be relocated either to Bebena or Dechencholing, but that is never happening.”

Residents said they wished thromde and relevant officials could relocate them before a mishap happens. “We are poor people and depend on the wage we earn by working in thromde. We don’t have anywhere to go,” a resident said.

Names of the residents are withheld in fear of reprisal from authorities.

Edited by Tashi Dema