Our Correspondent
Chairen, Sep. 22 (EMN): Even though the water level are steadily decreasing after the rain stops, many villages in Manipur’s Thoubal, Kakching and Bishnupur districts are still suffering the impact of flood for the fifth time as their houses and fields are still under flood water.
“Our village has been suffering from flood many times this year,” says private school teacher Takhellambam Simon of Chairen village under Kakching district. “So now it will be very difficult for the villagers unless the authority intervenes as the paddy fields which were once destroyed in the first flood in June are again submerged since the last four days.”
Most of the houses in Chairen which is one of oldest and popular village located about 70 km south of Imphal in Manipur’s Kakching district, are flooded with waist deep water. Even though the village is famous for its traditional pottery industries, the main occupation of the village is agriculture.
Like Simon, most of the villagers in Chairen village are seeking help and assistance from the concerned authorities as around 200 out of the village’s 300 houses are still suffering from flood this month.
“The immediate requirement of the village is drinking water and other essential commodities as all the ponds and supply lines are under water,” Simon added.
Like Chairen, Napat,Tangjeng Khunjao,Leingangtabi,Chandonpokpi in Bishnupur district, Thoubal,Khekman, Sangaiyumpham in Thoubal district besides Wabagai Leirak and other parts of Sugunu in Kakching district are the worst flood hit areas.
Flood hit Manipur for the fifth time in the last five months, after incessant rain measuring (87.6 mm and 17.8 mm of rainfall) returned to haunt the flood prone region on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Though there is no report human casualty in the flood, one 50 year old Thaizii of Laii village in Senapati district which received highest rainfall(62.4mm on Wednesday) among all the districts, died after he was buried in a landslide near Senapati district council colony area, about 65 km north of Imphal on Wednesday while one driver and handyman of a shaktiman truck escaped unhurt after their truck was entangled by the strong current of Lanva River in Churachandpur district, 70 km south of Imphal.
At the same time the strong currents of Chakpi River had washed away earth portion of Chakpi Bridge which connects many villages of Chandel district. However the villagers of the area constructed a temporary bamboo footbridge considering the necessity of the bridge on Wednesday. Around 43 bridges and 9 culverts were damaged in this year’s flood in Manipur.