Preparations to mitigate a monsoon-related manmade disaster have started early in Gangtok, the Sikkim capital, even before the onset of proper summer in the Himalayan state.

The “Clean your drain before the rain” initiative started on Sunday in the state capital.

Sikkim’s urban development department, in collaboration with the Gangtok Municipal Corporation (GMC), started clearing the drains of Bhanu Path on Sunday morning.

Clogged drains are known to trigger landslides especially in hilly areas by disrupting the natural water flow and increasing the instability of the rocky soil.

“When drains in hilly areas are blocked, rainwater cannot flow out properly and instead seeps into soil making it heavy and unstable,” said an environmentalist from Bengal’s Darjeeling.

“Uncontrolled water flows down the slopes and also erodes the topsoil. Over time, this water weakens the land’s grip due to the increase in hydrostatic pressure,” the environmentalist added, explaining the need to keep drains clean and praising the Sikkim initiative.

Landslides in hilly areas in monsoon are common, causing huge damage to people, property as well as the tourism economy.

On Sunday, efforts were also made to raise awareness among Gangtok residents about the importance of drain maintenance to prevent waterlogging ahead of the monsoon season.

As part of the campaign, four garbage trucks procured by the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) were formally handed over to the GMC to strengthen sanitation efforts in the state, said a source.

Sunday’s drain clearing activity was attended by a host of Sikkim ministers such as Bhoj Raj Rai (urban development), Arun Upreti (rural development and cooperation) G.T. Dhungel (health and family welfare and culture) and N.B. Dahal (roads and bridges). Delay Namgyal Barfungpa, adviser to the urban development ministry, was also among those who attended it.

Sources said that drain clean-up activities under the “Clean your drain before the rain” campaign will also take place at the Deorali Bazaar (Arithang Assembly constituency), the Tadong flyover (Upper Tadong), the forest check post at Chandmari (Syari) and the Thapa Golai Sichey area (Burtuk) under the supervision of their respective MLAs in the coming days.