Kangpokpi, September 08 2017: Heavy downpour, flash flood and landslide hit Senapati district once again on August 30 after the devastating flood of August 24 which inundated several parts of the district causing extremely hard time to the people.
The heavy downpour that caused devastating flash flood and landslide on August 30 struck Sorbung village and Ngatan village in Tadubi block under 47-Karong Assembly Constituency in Senapati District decimating all the paddy fields in the area .
The flash flood and landslide extensively affected more than 100 paddy cultivators while inundating two-third of the paddy fields along Ithoi River, which serves as one of the main tributaries of Iril River .
Sorbung village is located about 30 Kms from Senapati district headquarters with a population of around 967 with 194 households while Ngatan village is located about 70 Kms away from Senapati DHQs with a population of 800 with 157 households as per 2011 census .
Apart from ravaging around 100 hectares of paddy field, standing crops were inundated with mud and pebbles while trees and posts were uprooted giving immense hardship to the villagers .
The middle east part of Senapati district has been completely cut off from the rest of the world due to the incessant rain and flood that occurred during the past few days.
Moreover, the poor villagers for whom agriculture is the main source of livelihood, are reeling under severe condition since all the paddy fields have been severely damaged .
LK Maikho, chairman of Sorbung village said that this is the first time that they have been hit so hard .
“The villagers mostly paddy cultivators affected by the deadly flash flood could lose their livelihood as they depend heavily on rice for sustenance”, lamented the Sorbung chief while adding that the owners of the destroyed paddy fields are so worried that they even hesitate to go to the paddy field now .
Ngatan village chief Kaping said that around 70 hectares of paddy field of 50 families including the standing crops have been damaged while expressing apprehension that the villagers could lose their source of livelihood .
He also appealed to the State Government to redress their woes .
President of Green Hills Society, N Joyson Tao said that the flash flood will have adverse outcome as nearly two-third of the villagers depend on paddy cultivation for their livelihood and added that it will take a year to get the affected paddy fields back to where they were before .
Describing the incident as ‘a once in a hundred year devastation’, Tao opined that it will also not possible for many farmers to resume cultivation next year while recovery of the many fields will take many years.
Source: The Sangai Express
