By : A Staff Reporter 9/15/2007 1:47:32 AM
SHAJOUBA, SENAPATI, Sep 14: A ministerial team led by PHED Minister TN Haokip visited the landslide affected areas in Senapati district to take stock of the situation and assess the damages.
The PHED minister was accompanied by Works Minister K Ranjit, IFCD Minister N Biren, Transport Minister L Jayentakumar and Tribal Development Minister DD Thaisii.
The ministerial team visited the landslides affected areas along the Tadubi-Tungjoy-Laii Kharasam state highway and interacted with the affected people. The Lower Shajouba Village under Paomata sub-division was worst affected by the landslides.
In a meeting held at the Shajouba Community Hall, representative of the Committee, Shajouba Landslides Disaster Management, a body instituted to manage the post-disaster and rehabilitation needs of the affected people, L Daili highlighted a report of damages that were incurred.
As per the unofficial report submitted by the committee, 49 houses, 1.5 sq km of paddy fields and horticultural farming areas were destroyed by the landslides. Daili said that damages to the tune of Rs 2.86 crores were incurred due to the landslides.
The unofficial source further estimated that a stretch of 250 metres state highway have sunk to 200 feet below the normal road level. It also quoted that 232 people were displaced. The displaced people are being sheltered at the emergency relief camp at Shajouba UJB School.
He said that after the people evacuated the area fearing possibility of landslides, on the morning of September 9 the state highway plunged destroying the houses and agricultural lands along with standing crops.
Fortunately there was no lost of live due to timely evacuation.
The PHED Minister TN Haokip informed that the geological survey team already visited the site to do preliminary assessment and care will be taken even at the nearby Tadubi areas to avoid such disasters. The minister said that medical team will be sent soon.
TN Haokip asked the Senapati DC to submit an official report of the lost incurred at the earliest so that relief and rehabilitation steps can be taken up soon.
Highlighting the plight of the valley, which is caught in flood, the minister said that natural disasters affected both hills and valley and speedy measures will be taken up to address the needful.
Works Minister K Ranjit said that the CM assured that affected people will be helped for rehabilitation. He said that the 300 metres of the NH 39 along Imphal-Moreh road was destroyed by flood and work is on full swing to make the same motorable by 16th September.
Ranjit said, “At Shajouba we need to find an alternate site for constructing the state highway. It will take only 3-4 days to construct the road. So we need the cooperation of the villagers.”
The meeting was also attended by M Thorii, RK Theko, Francis Ngajokpa, government officials and local leaders. As an immediate relief, the visiting ministerial team gave Rs 50,000 to the committee. The works department gave another 10,000.
As conveyed by K Benjamin, convener of the committee, “The landslides at Shajouba Village may not have happened if the government was sincere to understand the plight of general people by constructing proper drainage system. The conditions were made more vulnerable by installing only two culverts through the stretch of 4 kms from Tadubi to Shajouba.”
The landslides have also affected the interstate road connecting Chakeshang of Nagaland. The people said that to avert future occurrence of such avoidable disasters, pucca drainage systems should be constructed and proper retaining walls be constructed.
Nipuni, 35, recounted the incident. He said, “On 8th cracks appeared. Out of anticipation of greater danger, we evacuated the area. And the next morning, the earth swallowed our home and fields. It was scary.”
Nipuni is now staying at the relief camp at the Shajouba UJB, 3 kms from the landslide areas, with his wife and three children. The chairman of the relief committee, DR Losii said that some assistance from the government was received. He said that 19 quintals of rice, 200 kg of dal, 45 kg ghee and 50 kg salt was given by the government.
Most of the villagers said that such landslides had not occurred during their lifetime. Sunny, an SO in electricity department from Lower Shajouba Village said, “The landslides were not at all anticipated. Even my father said such disasters had not occurred during his lifetime.”
The affected villagers are slowly rebuilding their shaken lives and homes. Construction has already begun by some of the better-off families with the help from the neighbouring villagers.
SHAJOUBA, SENAPATI, Sep 14: A ministerial team led by PHED Minister TN Haokip visited the landslide affected areas in Senapati district to take stock of the situation and assess the damages.
The PHED minister was accompanied by Works Minister K Ranjit, IFCD Minister N Biren, Transport Minister L Jayentakumar and Tribal Development Minister DD Thaisii.
The ministerial team visited the landslides affected areas along the Tadubi-Tungjoy-Laii Kharasam state highway and interacted with the affected people. The Lower Shajouba Village under Paomata sub-division was worst affected by the landslides.
In a meeting held at the Shajouba Community Hall, representative of the Committee, Shajouba Landslides Disaster Management, a body instituted to manage the post-disaster and rehabilitation needs of the affected people, L Daili highlighted a report of damages that were incurred.
As per the unofficial report submitted by the committee, 49 houses, 1.5 sq km of paddy fields and horticultural farming areas were destroyed by the landslides. Daili said that damages to the tune of Rs 2.86 crores were incurred due to the landslides.
The unofficial source further estimated that a stretch of 250 metres state highway have sunk to 200 feet below the normal road level. It also quoted that 232 people were displaced. The displaced people are being sheltered at the emergency relief camp at Shajouba UJB School.
He said that after the people evacuated the area fearing possibility of landslides, on the morning of September 9 the state highway plunged destroying the houses and agricultural lands along with standing crops.
Fortunately there was no lost of live due to timely evacuation.
The PHED Minister TN Haokip informed that the geological survey team already visited the site to do preliminary assessment and care will be taken even at the nearby Tadubi areas to avoid such disasters. The minister said that medical team will be sent soon.
TN Haokip asked the Senapati DC to submit an official report of the lost incurred at the earliest so that relief and rehabilitation steps can be taken up soon.
Highlighting the plight of the valley, which is caught in flood, the minister said that natural disasters affected both hills and valley and speedy measures will be taken up to address the needful.
Works Minister K Ranjit said that the CM assured that affected people will be helped for rehabilitation. He said that the 300 metres of the NH 39 along Imphal-Moreh road was destroyed by flood and work is on full swing to make the same motorable by 16th September.
Ranjit said, “At Shajouba we need to find an alternate site for constructing the state highway. It will take only 3-4 days to construct the road. So we need the cooperation of the villagers.”
The meeting was also attended by M Thorii, RK Theko, Francis Ngajokpa, government officials and local leaders. As an immediate relief, the visiting ministerial team gave Rs 50,000 to the committee. The works department gave another 10,000.
As conveyed by K Benjamin, convener of the committee, “The landslides at Shajouba Village may not have happened if the government was sincere to understand the plight of general people by constructing proper drainage system. The conditions were made more vulnerable by installing only two culverts through the stretch of 4 kms from Tadubi to Shajouba.”
The landslides have also affected the interstate road connecting Chakeshang of Nagaland. The people said that to avert future occurrence of such avoidable disasters, pucca drainage systems should be constructed and proper retaining walls be constructed.
Nipuni, 35, recounted the incident. He said, “On 8th cracks appeared. Out of anticipation of greater danger, we evacuated the area. And the next morning, the earth swallowed our home and fields. It was scary.”
Nipuni is now staying at the relief camp at the Shajouba UJB, 3 kms from the landslide areas, with his wife and three children. The chairman of the relief committee, DR Losii said that some assistance from the government was received. He said that 19 quintals of rice, 200 kg of dal, 45 kg ghee and 50 kg salt was given by the government.
Most of the villagers said that such landslides had not occurred during their lifetime. Sunny, an SO in electricity department from Lower Shajouba Village said, “The landslides were not at all anticipated. Even my father said such disasters had not occurred during his lifetime.”
The affected villagers are slowly rebuilding their shaken lives and homes. Construction has already begun by some of the better-off families with the help from the neighbouring villagers.
