Residents worry over possible land slide
Residents living at the edge of a spoil tip in Hpakant township, Kachin State, has been worrying over possible landslide during the upcoming monsoon.
Since 2007, Thetkalkone village has been established on the spoil tip, but they have been pushed to the edge of the spoil tip after a mining company entered the area in 2010. Thirty-five houses located near the edge of the spoil tip want to move to a safer location as the area in danger of collapsing, but the company prevents them from migrating, according to a village elder.
“When we tried to move to a safer location on the spoil tip, the company forbids us by claiming that it’s part of their area. Now, 25 houses are in danger. Ten houses have been demolished because of the threat, but they still haven’t given us land for the relocation. We have learnt that they have been granted 40 acres of plot. We are not asking for compensation. We are satisfied if we can relocate to a safer area. Now, the land has been cracking even inside the houses. The situation can get worse when it starts raining. Two houses near the edge collapsed after Jade Power Company dug out the earth from bottom. We didn’t get anything back,” said Soe Win, the village elder.
Between 500 and 600 people live in Thetkalkone village. The village started with 116 housings in 2007 and the number of housings increased to 235 after war refugees migrated to the village, following the eruption of clashes between the army and the Kachin Independence Army in 2012.
Soe Win said the village has not received recognition from the local authorities and it has been facing pressures from all sides.
The local authorities has announced that they will not take responsibility if natural disasters take place at Thetkalkone village, Kyaukseintaung village with 305 housings and Hlyo village with 94 housings as the residents are living on the spoil tip as they wish.
