Rains bring tears as districts lose terrace fields, bridges

EMN
Dimapur, July 27

While the rains are being welcomed in the sweltering plains of Nagaland, the late heavy monsoon has brought misery to the hillier regions of the state. Reports are being received that terrace fields and bridges have been washed away in Phek district and regions straddling Tizu River and in Tobu sub-division under Mon district during the week’s rainfall.
The Phek Area Public Organization (PAPO) issued a press release on Monday, July 27, stating damage to land in Phek’s regions through which the river flows reportedly caused by the rains.
A public organization from Phek district has appealed to the district administration to approach the state government to seek ‘immediate financial assistance for construction of suspension bridges to link between the villages and for a vast area of cultivated crops’.It has been “a long time since the people of Tizu surrounding villages had witnessed such over flooded Tizu River beyond imagination on 24th July 2015 early morning till late evening which has caused immense destruction worth of thousands and thousands of rice planted crops on the bank of Tizu river,” the organization stated.
“This has pained hundreds of cultivators from surrounding villages, left in panic as their livelihood entirely depend on harvest of their paddy fields”.
Besides, the organization stated, ‘hundreds of acres damaged crops, the constructed hanging and suspension bridges at different locations which are used as agricultural route on the opposite side of the river cum communication means between the inter villages were swept away and villages like Suthotsu, Tuhephu and K Khuno are now completely cut off from communication as the only pliable route to the district headquarter (nearest town) via Sohomi village will be a matter of at least 45 km distance walk causing untold hardship for emergency medical care and other everyday necessities getting from the nearest town’.
The Phek organization has appealed to the Phek district administration on behalf of the public to “take stock of the situation at the earliest and forward the matter to the government for immediate financial assistance for construction of suspension bridges to link between the villages and for a vast area of cultivated crops”.
In a separate report from the DIPR, the members of the adhoc town committee of Tobu and Mokha areas under Tobu sub-division in Mon district have reported damage from the rain. Due to heavy rainfall, “183 terrace fields have been completely washed away on 24th July 2015.” The DIPR input stated.
A few days ago, the Public Health Engineering division of Phek district had informed the public that the CC slab bridge supporting the main pipeline along Laka river, Ketsapo, was washed away due to incessant rainfall during the week.
The bridge was washed away on Friday, July 24, the PHE division had informed in a note on Saturday. The truss bridge for pipes over Zachu river carrying water supply to Meluri town was also damaged, the authorities informed.
“The restoration work couldn’t be done due to over flowing of rivers,” the note said. The department has assured that restoration works will resume after the river recedes. The work may take 15-20 days, the division had said in appeal. The Phek PHE has appealed to citizens to bear with the inconvenience the disruption has caused.