- • Official reports: More than 1, 200 houses damaged in Mokokchung
- • Approx. 500 houses damaged in Longleng
- • Damage reported from Wokha and Phek
- • April 20, 2003 ‘cyclone’ terror revisited
EMN
Dimapur, May 1
Saturday night, April 30, will go down as one of the grimmest monsoon days for Nagaland, almost akin to the monstrous storm that punished Dimapur more than 12 years ago.
On Saturday night, a terrifying cyclonic storm swept devastation through several districts in the state before leaving a trail of destruction on properties. At the time of filing this report, at least an estimated 1,800 houses across towns, outposts and villages in Mokokchung and Longleng district was being reported.
In Longleng town, heavy winds destroyed more than 100 houses in the town itself, reports reaching here said. 500 houses from 20 villages in the district have been reported damaged although no fatalities, fortunately, have been reported.
Likewise, authorities said that about 330 families of Ukha village in Mon district were affected.
Similarly, while official updates are yet to be established, the Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA) has said that similar devastations have been reported from Wokha district and Phek district.
While more than a thousand families are believed to have been left homeless as the storm tore off roofs and tiles, even toppling houses, there has yet to be confirmed reports of fatalities although extensive damage to crops and livestock have been confirmed. Considering the extent of devastation on houses and buildings, injuries, however, are not being ruled out at this point.
A severe spate of cyclonic winds lashed across the hilly regions of Mokokchung district on the midnight of April 30 leaving hundreds of families without shelter. The storm hit at around 1 pm and lasted for more than an hour. An update from the district administrtaion shows that 1, 307 houses across Mokokchung district’s 40 villages, divisions or outposts, were damaged. Some of the hardest-hit towns or villages in Mokokchung were Khar, Changki, Changtongya, and Chuhuyimlong town.
Five villages under Mangkolemba sub-division have been severely affected by the storm. 68 houses were completely damaged. An official report submitted by the ADC of Mangkolemba, T Imtiwapang Aier, said on Sunday evening that the administration visited some of the affected villages. Information from councils listed out the houses that were damaged.
The district’s administration led by deputy commissioner Sushil Kumar Patel visited some of the worst-hit areas in the morning. He was accompanied by district officials and officials of the State Disaster Response Force. The administration undertook an assessment of the destruction as well as to provide immediate relief to the affected families.
In his visit to Khar village, Patel interacted with some of the worst-affected families. He asked village council members to assess the number of houses that were damaged and place a report to him.
During a short interaction with village council members, the administrator assured all possible help to the affected families. He said that an immediate requirement was for CGI sheets. He also handed over Rs. 35,000 to the village council to be distributed to the families that were hit the hardest.
In Khar village alone, 121 houses were damaged out of which 31 houses were damaged severely. Electric poles were also seen bent. The team had proceeded to Khar village early in the morning but could reach the village with much difficulty as fallen trees had blocked the road. Patel also visited Sungratsu, Chuchuyimlang, Akhoya and other affected villages to assess damage. The DC said houses were destroyed in about 35 villages.
Also, leaders of the Ao Kaketshir Mungdang (AKM) and Asetkong Kaetshir Mungdang led by Kobulong’s EAC, Trongdiba Tongpi, took stock of the situation; assessed damage under said jurisdiction. Village councils were asked to assess the number of houses damaged and to submit a report.
The team also appealed to the state government to compensate the people affected by the storm. Besides residential houses, many government schools, and Anganwadi and community building were destroyed. Most of the villages are suffering power-cuts after the wind snapped power lines. The PWD (R&B) department also responded to the situation by clearing most of the road blocks caused uprooted trees.
A similar scene was in Unger village some 35 kilometers from Mokokchung town. About 70 houses in the village were damaged.
Officials from the NSDMA informed on Saturday that a team from the agency had left for the affected districts in the aftermath of the devastation.
“The recent weather conditions in the state has affected many districts, a cloud burst was reported in Mokokchung district which has destroyed properties and public utilities. Heavy thunderstorm was reported in Chuchuyimlang areas where houses and properties were damaged,” a press release from the NSDMA said on May 1.
Four officials from the NSDMA, under the Home department, left for Mokokchung in the wee hours, the government said. The officials will be assisting the District Disaster Management Authority in physically assessing the extent of damage and also to provide relief, it stated.
Also, three officials of the NSDMA have been camping in Mon district for the past week monitoring the ‘recent event of disasters.’
Along with the district disaster management agency, the team distributed relief to affected villages of Ukha village and surrounding villages on Sunday. Altogether 330 affected families of Ukha village were provided relief, authorities said.
The NSDMA listed out some of the established cases of damage: “The affect villages under Mokokchung district are Khanimu- 7 (major-4 minor-3), Longjang-72 (major-23 minor-49), Longpa-23 (major-10 minor-13), Kubolong-10 (major-4 minor-6, Chami-8 (major-5 minor-3), Mopungchuket-7 (major-3 minor-4), Yimchalu-2 (major) and Sungratsu-35 (major-16 minor-19),” the agency listed in the press release.
Meanwhile in Longleng, heavy winds destroyed more than 100 houses in the town itself. The NSDMA has also received reports of casualty in Mongtikong village.
Reports received from Longleng district informed that around 500 houses in 20 villages were damaged during the morning storm which occurred at around 1.40 am.
The storm not only left an unaccounted but perceived-to-be-many families homeless; affected their livelihood as farms and livestock were also destroyed in the process. Some cases of injury have also been reported.
One of the severest-hit villages in Mokokchung was Longjang village with an estimated destruction of more than forty private residences; movable properties accounting to a probable loss of nearly twenty lakh by the total.
Kalong, a resident of the village, said that–leaving aside the chaos created by the storm in the populated areas–the trail of destruction inflicted on paddy fields, farms and orchards would now severely affect the livelihood of the villagers.
More than ninety percent of the villagers are said to be dependent on agriculture and agriculture-based seasonal activities, he said.
