July 19 landslides damaged schools across Mon, leaving over 1,000 students awaiting classrooms as KSU seeks urgent government support.
DIMAPUR — When heavy rain and landslides swept through Mon district on July 19, the devastation extended beyond homes, roads and lives lost.
Schools across Mon, Tizit, Naginimora, Aboi, Wakching and Tobu were damaged or cut off, leaving more than a thousand students facing an uncertain return to classrooms just days before schools are due to reopen.
Konyak Students' Union (KSU) president Temwang Konyak told Eastern Mirror that the damage extends far beyond Mon town. While a survey is still underway alongside relief operations, he said the number of affected schools and students would not be less than a thousand.
Heavy rain triggered landslides that tore through villages, damaging school buildings, approach roads and essential infrastructure. Roofs collapsed, walls cracked and playgrounds were buried under mud and boulders. Fortunately, no students were on campus as schools were closed for the summer break.
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Government Middle School, Mon Town 'D' in Techa ward, a nearly 50-year-old institution, suffered extensive damage. Though the building appeared to have been recently painted, classrooms and the school compound have been cracked beyond repair, leaving the structure standing precariously.
The school kitchen was completely destroyed, while large sections of the compound have sunk or developed deep cracks. With landslide debris still piled up behind the campus, residents fear the building could collapse if the area experiences more rain.
With the summer break ending soon, uncertainty now hangs over where students and teachers will return. Temwang said the destruction is extensive and that restoring education will require more than rebuilding damaged structures.
Extended break, temporary classrooms
The KSU leader said that thousands of students have lost textbooks, uniforms, certificates and other essential documents, while school properties and approach roads have also suffered extensive damage.
With schools scheduled to reopen in the first week of August, he urged the Department of School Education to extend the summer break to allow time for relief and rehabilitation, and to arrange temporary classrooms so that students' education is not disrupted.
Temwang also appealed to the department to adopt a humanitarian approach for students who lost their academic documents. Instead of requiring police FIRs and newspaper notices for replacement, he urged the government to create a simpler and more affordable mechanism, highlighting that many affected families cannot bear the additional financial burden.
Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV), Wakching, with more than 500 students enrolled, was also severely affected. Landslides cut off the approach road to the school, forcing the suspension of classes.
Temwang informed that the school's indoor stadium, which also serves as an auditorium, sustained damage, while its transformer was affected, leaving the campus without electricity and disrupting its water supply.
Tizit Area Students' Union (TASU) president Nokmao Konyak said that Tizit was also among the worst-hit areas, describing the floods as an unprecedented disaster for local residents.
According to him, many families lost their homes and belongings, while schools suffered extensive damage. Students have been left without uniforms, books and learning materials, and even new textbooks and uniforms stored in schools were destroyed.
With the new academic session due to begin in a matter of days, he expressed concern over how affected students would resume classes. While some displaced families are staying in relief camps, others have taken shelter in village morungs.
The July 19 disaster claimed 11 lives in Mon district. Eight people died in the Mon town landslide, including two who remain missing, while one person each lost their lives in floods in Tizit, Naginimora and Ukha village.