Share
The flood and mudslide hit paddy fields of Sorbung village in Manipur’s Senapati district which witnessed the worst flood, landslide in the last 3 decades during August end this year.[/caption]
Our Correspondent
Imphal, Sep. 9 (EMN): Floods are not an annual phenomenon in Manipur’s hilly terrain particularly in Senapati district bordering Nagaland in India’s North Eastern region as in valleys where flood becomes a regular cycle every year in the state.
But this time flood accompanied by landslide is rampant in Senapati district. A heavy downpour caused flash flood and landslide in the hill district on August 26 destroying more than 22 houses. Four days after similar downpour as washed away almost all the paddy fields of two villages-Sorbung and Ngatan under Tadubi block forcing the villagers to face untold miseries.
The total rainfall rate recorded in Senapati district in August alone reached 205 mm out of state’s rainfall rate of 1668.5 mm (February-August) which is comparatively higher than the average annual rainfall rate (1500mm) of the state,according to State Directorate of Environment department.
Apart from ravaging around 100 hectares of paddy field, standing crops were inundated in mud and pebbles while tress and posts were uprooted rendering tremendous hardship to the villagers.
According to LS Ngaomii(65) of Sorbung who owns a paddy field measuring around 2 hectares which annually produces around 180 bags (50kg per bag) of paddy, the villager may take 3/4 years to rejuvenate their paddy fields. “I hope the authority help on time otherwise we’ll face lot of hardship as agriculture is the only means of livelihood in our area,” he felt.
Sorbung is located about 90 Km north of Imphal, has a population of around 967 with 194 households while Ngatan,about 120 Km away from state capital with a population of 800 with 157 households as per 2011 census.
“The villagers mostly paddy cultivators affected by the deadly flash flood could lose their livelihood as the village depend their livelihood on agriculture”, says Chairman LK Maikho of Sorbung village. “The damaged paddy fields owners were so worried and even hesitate to go to paddy field to witness the wrath of the nature.”
He also said that we depend on agriculture on only for our livelihood but to support our children education while urging the concerned authorities and the state Government to look into their disaster and address their grievances at the earliest.
Chief Kaping of Ngatan village also said that around 70 hectares of paddy field of 50 families including the standing crops has been damage while conveying the villager’s apprehension of losing their livelihood.He also appeals the concerned authority and state Government to address sooner than later e grievances of the people.
Describing the incident as ‘a once in a hundred year devastation’, President N Joyson Tao of Senapati based Green Hills Society said that the flash flood will have adverse outcomes on the village economy as nearly two-third of the villagers depend on paddy cultivation for their livelihood while adding that it will take a year to get the affected paddy fields back to where they were before.