State calamity. Of severe nature.
The losses incurred are yet to be officially calculated, but it is only right that the State Government should go ahead and declare the present flood situation in the State as a calamity.
The series of natural calamities that have struck the State in the last two months all had to do with the torrential rain that lashed different parts of the State and even as this observation is being penned down there is not much indication that the sky will clear and the rains would go away.
First there was Cyclone Mora that struck the State from May 29 to June 6 and it was not only the rain that the people and obviously the State Government had to contend with but the accompanying landslides that cut off road connectivity in different parts of the State.
Even before the people and the State could fully recover from the impact of Cyclone Mora came the heavy rains that lashed the valley area from June 7 to June 12.
Now this is July and the State is already reeling under another spell of heavy rains in the past few days.
Not to forget the earth crack at Kalikhola village and its adjoining areas in Kangpokpi district on June 4 that dealt a crippling blow to the people.
The service of scientists from National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Geological Survey of India (GSI), Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), Central Water Commission (CWC), Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and India Meteorological Department (IMD) had to be roped in to study the earth crack at Kalikhola, but other than the preliminary findings not much is known so far.
It is only right that the BJP led Government has taken a serious view of the series of natural calamities that have struck the State in the last two months and has decided to declare it as a State Calamity.
Right thing that the State Government has done in opening up hot-lines for the people to contact the authority concerned in case of any emergency and the opening of the State Disaster Control Room should be seen as the right step.
The State Government should address the sufferings of the people fittingly and not be satisfied with just some paper work.
Hope the Centre too respond positively to the inputs of the State Government and take cognizance of the large scale destruction caused in the last two months.
This is about what is expected from the Government, but it is also right for the people to ponder on the large scale deforestation in the hill areas, which must have helped in the massive landslides reported from the hill districts.
How about the massive clogging of natural water ways with plastics in the valley area ?
No one can control nature, but the least the people can do is ponder on whether their actions have in any way contributed to the severity of the situation.
The landslides and the clogged water ways should give all an indication.
Source: The Sangai Express
