LAMKA, August 6: An official team led by Churachandpur District Council member Chongkhozou and EM, ADC Churachandpur had yesterday visited the Sangting Village and Chongchin Village to inspect the damage of property including cultivated paddy fields reported afflicted by a cyclone.
The team was also accompanied by representatives of civil organisations, officials of the district administration and media team.
Speaking to the team, an elder of Chongchin Village Nengthang said a spinning wind continuously seized the area for five days starting from July 24 giving them no chance to work let alone get out of their homes.
The strong wind had damage much of their fields where they grew a variety of cash crops like banana, pineapple, yam, ginger and parkia (locally known as Zongtah) apart from rice, he said.
He said the local farmers were helped by an NGO `Social Transformation Agency`™ to set up the fields before the strong winds hit.
Meanwhile, the official team inspected the areas and made an assessment.
A report on the magnitude of the damage will be made to the DC and then to the people`™s representative.
The officials also recorded that 64 paddy fields, 56 banana farms, 14 Parkia fields, 56 fields of chillies have been damaged by the winds.
As there was no possibility of physically travelling and checking all fields, the team visited some fields nearby Henglep Road, travelling by foot for about a mile and took stock of the situation of areas including one of the most effected – Sannting Village rice field, (jhum cultivation).
Since Chongchin Village is about 100 km and Sangting Village 91 km far from Lamka Town, the team could only reach back in Lamka Town by midnight.
Although the entire affected areas are still to be visited and reported to the District Disaster Management agency led by the DC Lunminthang Haokip, some villagers like Luthan said the district administration has neglected them.
He said the DC had promptly rushed to Sangaikot TD on getting reports of flood in the area but failed to visit them.
Meanwhile, when reporters called on the Henglep MLA Manga Vaiphei who is also the chairman of the MTDC at his Churachandpur residence, he said he was aware of that Sangting Village was affected by the wind, but was awaiting an official report from the SDO Henglep and his agents.
He had also said that his constituency was affected by windstorm, incessant rains, landslides and road blocks and as such he had set two bulldozers and JCB for road clearance activities particularly on the Henglep sub-division road.
The local MLA also asserted that he had worked without negligence to any area in his constituency and visited several villages personally.
He said the first report of damage due to the recent phenomenon have been received from Khaupi Village where five houses were reportedly damaged and have started sending relieve materials.
As for now the most pressing problem is at V Lhangnuam where 17 households have been affected, he said.
He continued cracks have formed in the village and the 17 homes forcing the villagers to flee from their village and tak shelter at Nahbil Village fearing for the worst, the MLA informed the media persons.
He said he will be personally visiting the village tomorrow.
He had also informed the media persons that there were reports of five houses damaged in Bongkot, six in Phaipizwal and two in Khaupi.
However, since all road communications are also broken due to landslides, it is hard to send relief materials, he said.
He continued since Henglep is a vast constituency and at the same time backward in terms of road connectivity, he is unable to reach everywhere.
However, the SDO and the MDCs are also visiting some areas and will be reporting to him soon.