IMPHAL, May 24: “ The local MLA has never come to inquire into our plight , he just sent us some 20 bamboo poles and around 200 empty bags through his workers as flood relief,” according to Ayub Khan, whose house was washed away by the flood on May 22 night.
MLA Karam Thamarjit was accused of turning a blind eye to the present plight of flood affected victims of Kyamgei Oinam Loukon by the residents of the said area. “ Why is this that our elected representative refuses to come and see our present condition, ours is a Muslim populated area and we have none else to turn for help then him, “ Khan mentioned further.
Around 2000 households have been affected by the flood and 15 houses have been washed away, nearly a thousand residents have been displaced at the Kyamgei Oinam Loukon area. There are makeshift shelters built at the roads and many families have been trapped by the flood waters. Around 3,000 hectares of farmland has been submerged due to the flood, mainly at Oinam Loukon, Mayanbung Loukon, Urup Tannakha Loukon and Awangpat Loukon. The residents demands that boats be provided to ferry thee stranded people.
The residents informed that the retaining wall of the said area where the Imphal river broke has been weak for a long time and various complaints had been made to the concerned IFCD authorities, it was mentioned that there has not been any visible action despite the road of Oinam Loukon being a main transit road whenever there is a bandh along the Moreh-Imphal highway.
Medical assistance has been provided by the CMO Imphal East since yesterday and other items like bleaching powder and Alum has been distributed. The PHED has also sent water tankers to be distributed to the said area since yesterday. The CMO medical staff even donated to the relief fund. Relief camps have been opened at Kyamgei Muslim Awang Leikai community hall and Madrassa Najariya Kyamgei Muslim Mayai Leikai.