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A man scoops water off a pool of rainwater beside what used to be a proper road. Behind him is a gradient after the entire road gave in to monsoon rains. (EM Images)[/caption]
Meluri (Phek), Aug. 29 (EMN): Meluri subdivision in Phek district has been hit hard too by the monsoon with cultivators in Phor circle, Akhegwo, Lephori, and Meluri village being some of the hardest-hit.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Meluri, Rhosietho Nguori, said that two-thirds of the area had been affected. He said that about 500 farmers in Lephori village have not been able to attend to their agricultural activities and fields as four hanging bridges connecting to their paddy field regions had been swept away by the Araju River.
The officer explained that the Phek district administration has been taking stock of the situation and reaching out to the farmers in all possible ways. However, more assistance is required from the higher authorities of the state and at the earliest, Nguori said.
Nonetheless, the officer said, the overall situation in the subdivision is slowly returning to normalcy after landslide-hit areas were cleared.
The administration is ready for any emergency, the administrator informed. He has already discussed matter with the Food and Civil Supplies department too if any situation—understood to be related to supplies—arises, the officer said.
As for traffic along the routes, the ADC said there is no restriction from the Meluri administration on vehicles travelling to Kiphire. A temporary route has been arranged and is being maintained after a section of highway 202 collapsed completely from a landslide during the first week of August, available information said.
Nguori is said to have approached village leaders; they are willing to extend help in any way possible if the state government wants to undertake realignment work on the roads.
It was also learnt that Kashiho Sangtam, the minister for Soil and Water Conservation and Geology and Mining, and a PWD chief engineer, had visited the area to assess the situation.
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youths walk past a ruined section of a road in Meluri subdivision of Phek district. (EM Images)[/caption]
ENSF appeals for help
Elsewhere in the state, the eastern areas have appealed for continued efforts at relief and supply of essentials to the affected people there. The Eastern Naga students’ federation (ENSF) has appealed to the government of Nagaland to ‘continue with relief service’ to the eastern regions. The ENSF issued a press release on Wednesday stating that some of the districts, towns, and villages there were facing scarcity of essential commodities.
“The eastern Nagaland being the worst hit zone in the state, the situation still remain pathetic and rescue operations should continue to aid the totally cut off places from the rest of the state. The students are the most affected where many students have to face untold hardship in their daily activities,” the organisation stated.
Students are unable to return to their institutions due to blocked roads or broken bridges, and ‘suspension of public services’ and transport vehicles, the group stated. The federation has appealed to the government to “provide better roads and infrastructures.” Whenever any repairs are done, the ENSF stated, the contractors and department “will just apply a lip stick coating and draw all bills without taking people’s voices into consideration and all this are done under the shelter of the politicians.”
In its appeal to the government to ‘rescue the people’ of the eastern regions, the organisation felt that airlifting essential commodities especially to Kiphire and Tobu, and other parts of the areas, should continue until the situation normalises.
“A bridge at river Choklo under Thonoknyu subdivision connecting many villages has also been totally washed away. Thus the federation anticipates a goodwill gesture from the government to this call and we once again assure to extend our fullest cooperation to face the challenges,” the press release read.