Landslides sever road links in Kiphire

Villagers, including women and children, from Kiphire district crossing a precarious bamboo bridge over a swollen stream after landslides washed away the only connecting road.

• DIMAPUR — Residents of several border villages in Kiphire district are reported to be facing a dire situation after the spell of incessant rain completely cut off road connectivity.
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• In an appeal issued on Sunday, the International Border Area Peoples Welfare Organisation (IBAPWO) called for immediate government intervention.
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• “Due to continuous heavy rainfall over the past few days, the lifeline road connecting Mimi and its surrounding villages—namely Khongka, Betang, Mutingkhong, Lofukhong, Hakumuti, and Khaha—has been completely cut off.

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• “A major landslide and overflowing streams have damaged the only accessible road, forcing villagers to risk their lives crossing bamboo bridges over turbulent waters,” it stated.
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• According to the IBAPWO, the disruption has cut off the villagers’ access to health facilities, markets, and emergency services. “Children, women, and elderly residents are the worst affected,” it added.
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• “We earnestly appeal to the authorities concerned and government departments to urgently assess the ground situation and take swift action for restoration of road connectivity, provision of relief materials, and long-term infrastructure planning to prevent such vulnerabilities in the future,” it stated.