Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, Aug. 30: Thekrejuma village in Kohima district has been completely cut off as the only bridge connecting the village with the rest of the district was washed away in a flash flood that occurred early August 28 morning. Around twenty paddy fields were reported to have been destroyed.
According to the SDO (Civil) of Sechü Zubza, Mhomo Tungoe, the village is also without electricity as some electric poles were destroyed by the flood.
Tungoe told Eastern Mirror that he received a call at around 6 am on August 28 informing about the flood at Chathe River in Thekrejuma, and that the flood had destroyed huge stretches of paddy fields on both sides of the riverbank.
“On reaching the village along with the dobashis, we found that the only bridge over Chathe River connecting the village had been washed away the night before; and even the electric poles supplying electricity to the village,” said Tungoe.
The SDO informed that the damaged area is almost a kilometre long, and around 20 farmers have been affected by it. “Accurate assessment could not be arrived at since we could not cross the river and neither could the villagers cross the river and come towards our side,” informed Tungoe.
The District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) Kohima was immediately informed about the ground situation and a team of officials from the department of agriculture were dispatched the next day, he informed.
The chairman of Thekrejuma village council, Rüüngutuo Kruse also informed that an emergency footbridge was constructed on Thursday. “Now it’s going to be difficult to construct a temporary bridge for vehicular movement as well,” he said. Kruse informed that eight electric poles were damaged, which has led to total power shutdown.
Almost all the irrigation canals and drinking water pipes that serve the village were destroyed. “The villagers were compelled to arrange other temporary water connection (measures),” he said.
It was sinformed that the Chathe River also provides water to Medziphema town, Medziphema village, Rüzaphema village, School of Agricultural Sciences and Rural Development (SASRD) and some other neighbouring villages. But since the flood occurred, water connectivity to the above mentioned places has also been affected, according to Kruse.
The chairman informed that a few buffaloes were also killed in the flood.
In another incident, on August 28, over 10 paddy fields were reported to have been destroyed by flash floods at Dzuleke, which is around 40 km away from Kohima town.
