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Residents of Noksen village in Tuensang district constructing a road on Saturday. (EM Images)[/caption]
Dimapur, Sep. 1 (EMN): The government of Nagaland has offered an update concerning the damage caused by this year’s monsoon.
“The state capital Kohima and particularly the districts of Tuensang, Kiphire and Phek have been severely affected. The three districts of Tuensang, Kiphire and Phek have been cut off from the rest of the state for about 15 days since the rains became incessant from the 26th of July, 2018. About 359 locations of roads have been totally cut off sending the state into an SoS situation. And districts like Kiphere, Tuensang and Phek which are bordering Myanmar have been cut off for more than 15 days. Because of the disaster incidents, 12 lives lost (sic) and many properties were damaged.
“The Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority and the department of Food and Civil Supplies in collaboration with the IAF (Indian Air Force) have made numerous sorties to these districts to airdrop essential supplies. Eleven lives have been lost and more than 3000 families have been displaced in the state owing to floods and numerous landslides. The state govt. has been putting in all efforts to contain the crisis even enlisting the assistance of the central government and its various agencies like, Indian paramilitary and military forces, Indian Air Force and National Disaster Response Force,” according to a government statement that was issued on Saturday.
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The statement said that in Wokha district, where the Doyang Hydro Electric Project is located, water started rising above the normal level EI.324.30M limit on July 27. “This, according to the manager of the dam and spillway division was due to incessant rain in the upstream catchment area of the DHEP. This resulted in discharge of a huge volume of water thereby affecting the villages in the downstream of Wokha district and about 64 villages in Assam.
“In Phek district, on the 27th July, owing to incessant rains, a major landslip caused a huge amount of debris to clog the Sidzu River and an artificial dam was formed stretching to more than 1 km. It was feared that this artificial dam may (sic) burst any moment which would cause massive damage to the downstream villages both in Nagaland and Assam. The State Disaster Response Force was pressed into duty, however, the area was declared safe on the July 31 after the water started spilling out in small amounts lessening the pressure on the artificial dam,” the update stated.
The government of Nagaland, it informed, needs approximately INR 800 cr. ‘for the restoration of damages caused by landslides and flash flood’ caused by the recent monsoon.
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The village of Longra in Tuensang district has been cut off from all sides with several landslides creating havoc along the only link road to the village from other areas.
From an on-the-spot verification by a team of
personnel of the affected area on Saturday, it was observed that said village was blocked by two massive landslides along the only useable road connecting the village to Noksen town, the nearest circle headquarters.
A member of the disaster evaluation and reinforcement committee of Noksen town formed under Noksen’s civil subdivision officer’s establishment in 2016 offered updates. The member, M Lima, said natural calamities strike the area every year, but this year was very different. He said more than fifty farmers, and fishery ponds of Noksen village and Longra village had been adversely affected as their fields had been either washed away or flooded. It has rendered the year’s harvest and hard work useless, it was informed. This kind of massive destruction of agricultural fields and livestock in the Noksen area is being witnessed after more than three decades in their recorded history, he said.
A VDB secretary of Noksen village Y Chingmak said that the current condition of the affected villagers should be attended to at the earliest. Farms and paddy fields belonging to more than forty households from the village have been completely destroyed, it was informed. The agriculture lands and farms were their only source of income and livelihood; not only farms but irrigation channels and fishery ponds are also completely destroyed, he added.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday spoke to Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and took stock of the flood situation, assuring him of all support.
"Spoke to Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and took stock of the situation in the wake of floods in parts of the state. Assured all possible support to the state in the rescue and relief operations. We stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Nagaland and pray for everyone's wellbeing," Modi tweeted.
Incessant rains since July have caused floods and landslides in several areas of the state claiming at least 12 lives and rendering hundreads homeless.
