This story is from September 2, 2018

Nagaland flood: Centre's inter-ministerial team to visit state

Nagaland flood: Centre's inter-ministerial team to visit state
A man pulls a rickshaw carrying schoolchildren through a flooded street after monsoon rainfall in Dimapur. (PTI file photo)
GUWAHATI: More than 13% of its population comprising over 48,000 families in 532 villages remains affected in Nagaland’s one of the worst monsoon seasons that has triggered series of problems from flooding to landslides and land slippage since July 26.
So far 12 persons have been reported killed and over 3000 families have been displaced.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured all possible support and an inter-ministerial central team is visiting the ravaged state from September 4 to 7 to make an on-the-spot assessment of the damages.

The state disaster management authority said that the state requires approximately Rs 800 crore immediately for the repair of the damages caused by landslides and flash flood.
The hill state has been further crippled by non-arrival of any financial help from the Centre, which has prompted chief minister Neiphiu Rio to take to Twitter to appeal for help. On Thursday, Rio had told TOI that he has asked for Rs 100 crore as advance to repair damaged vital roads for transporting relief material but he was is still waiting for it.

Rio’s appeal has received some strong support from many, including former cricketer VVS Laxman and spiritual guru Sadhguru, who have appealed for contributions to the CM’s relief fund.

State disaster management authority secretary Rovilatuo Mor said that the extreme weather conditions and reckless threats of landslides has pushed the state on the edge.
“The unprecedented series of disasters during the monsoon season have disrupted the roads in multiple locations, rendered many people homeless, damaged agriculture and major developmental efforts of the state have been shattered by the magnitude, complexity and the frequency of disasters in the state.”
“Roads in about 359 locations have been totally cut off sending the state into an SoS situation. And districts like Kiphere, Tuensang and Phek which are bordering Myanmar have been cut off for more than 15 days,” he added.
He said that the unprecedented monsoon rains have caused havoc in Wokha district where the Doyang Hydro-electric Project (DHEP) is situated.
“The water started rising above the normal level on July 27 due to incessant rain in the upstream catchment area and this resulted in discharge of a huge volume of water thereby affecting the villages in the downstream of Wokha district and about 91 villages of Golaghat district in Assam,” he said..
The Indian Air force has started air dropping essential materials in the worst-hit Peren, Noksen, Noklak, Tobu, Phokhungri, Wuzu, Pongro and Seyochurig.
“The immediate need is to provide essential commodities for the affected districts, immediate restoration of road infrastructure severely damaged by the landslide in 557 locations including the state capital roads and immediate rebuilding of fully, severely, partially 48,827 damaged houses,” he said.
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About the Author
Prabin Kalita

Prabin Kalita is a journalist at The Times of India and is currently the Chief of Bureau (northeast). He has been reporting in mainstream Indian national media since 2001. He has been a field journalist reporting gamut of issues from India’s northeastern region and major developments in neighbouring countries like Myanmar, China, Bhutan and Bangladesh concerning India and northeastern region. He has been covering insurgency—internal and cross-border, politics, natural calamities, environment etc. He is a post-graduate in Geological Sciences from Gauhati University.

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