Konyak Union seeks economic relief for Mon, citing crop losses, damaged homes, disrupted tea trade and inaccessible road links.
DIMAPUR — With floodwaters receding and the scale of destruction becoming clearer, the Konyak Union (KU) on Tuesday urged Nagaland government to announce a comprehensive economic relief package for Mon district.
In a memorandum submitted to Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio through the deputy commissioner of Mon, the KU stated that the full extent of the devastation could not be assessed during the chief minister's visit to the district on July 20 as communication networks had completely collapsed across the region.
It reminded that the recent incessant rainfall and flash floods had caused widespread displacement, destroyed livelihoods, damaged property and livestock, and severely affected agriculture across the district.
According to the KU, traditional jhum fields in the Wakching area, which were expected to be harvested in August, have been washed away or rendered uncultivable, threatening food security for farming families dependent on shifting cultivation.
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It claimed that cultivation areas in about 135 villages had suffered topsoil erosion, landslides or complete washouts, leaving many farmers without any prospect of harvest this season.
The union also reported extensive damage to tea estates and other commercial plantations in Wakching, Tizit, Naginimora, Upper Tiru and Lower Tiru, saying large areas had either been destroyed or submerged by floodwaters.
It further informed that around 950 houses across the district had been either partially or completely damaged, displacing numerous families. Drone footage showing parts of the destruction had earlier been presented to the chief minister during his visit, it added.
The memorandum also highlighted severe economic losses caused by the disruption of road connectivity between Mon and Assam. The KU stated that daily consignments of green tea leaves could not be transported to processing units, resulting in heavy losses for growers, while the supply of essential commodities into the district remained blocked.
Seeking immediate government intervention, the union appealed for financial compensation, agricultural input subsidies and rehabilitation packages for affected farmers and families in accordance with State Disaster Response Fund norms.
It also urged the government to expedite restoration of roads and bridges, stating that relief efforts undertaken by civil society organisations had reached their limits.
According to the union, road links to Phomching, Aboi, Tobu, Wakching, Naginimora, Tizit and the Mon-Assam route remain inaccessible, leaving several parts of the district effectively cut off.
The KU appealed to the state government to deploy the necessary machinery and resources immediately to restore connectivity and provide relief to affected residents.