A woman anxiously holds on to two children as they wade through a water-logged low-lying area towards higher ground after heavy pre-monsoon rain flooded surrounding areas at Ragailong colony in Dimapur, Nagaland on Thursday. Photo by Caisii Mao
Morung Express News
Dimapur | May 9
There are two sides to every story; so goes an often quoted phrase. If one is told to do a story toeing the line of this phrase, with the seasonal rains as the point of focus, then there will emerge a tale of respite and mess in equal measure. While the department of Power would certainly be sighing in relief as the monsoon come knocking, which means stable but short-term power supply; but on the flipside, it also means exasperation, of people, pushing their way through water-logged streets.
As is the case every year, large swathes of low-lying land in Dimapur were inundated with water after the previous night’s torrential rains. Burma Camp, Super Market, also known as Naga Shopping Arcade, and Dhobinullah were the worst affected areas. A total lack of planning and the absence of a drainage system turned out to be the culprit yet again.
Citizens in the affected areas had to make detours to go about their daily chores, while those who did not have the option were forced to wade through knee-deep water, some with children clinging on. At Naga Shopping Arcade, where the bus stand is located, ticketing booths had to be shifted to higher ground in the morning as flood water rose as high a four feet, completely inundating rooms on the ground floor. Make-shift ticketing stands were seen set up at the new site for Super Market daily bazaar, which is located on the west side of DAN’s (Development Authority of Nagaland) Naga Shopping Arcade.
The drainage outlet at the shopping complex failed. Reason; it was apparently constructed without properly assessing the terrain of the land. The drainage was constructed passing through the new site for the Super Market daily bazaar. It is connected via a culvert dug underneath the road leading to Full-Nagarjan to the natural drain which joins the Dhansiri downstream.
According to residents of the area, the water from the drain cannot pass the newly constructed culvert.
The tenants of Naga Shopping Arcade are now contemplating to stop paying rent over the sorry state of the shopping complex. “It is all because of the negligence of the authority (read DAN)”, said one of the tenants. The tenant went on to say that they have on many occasions in the past approached the DAN officials to sort out the drainage problem but the effort has come to nought. ‘Take it or leave it’ was the usual response of the officials leaving the tenants with no option but to continue occupying the rooms allotted to them.
Further, the tenants said that there is no point in shifting the daily bazaar to the new site if the drainage problem is not sorted out. The proposed date for shifting is June 10.
In the heart of town, at Zeliangrong village (commonly known as Dhobinullah), two schools had to be shut down for the day. As a result of yearly floods, the main road leading to the locality was recently elevated saving the road from inundation this year. However, it has also made vulnerable establishments running alongside, particularly those set up on one side of the natural drain, which carries away a bulk of Dimapur’s wastes.
Burma Camp East Block and Ragailong colony, naturally low-lying areas, were also severely affected. In some parts, floodwaters rose as high as three-four feet, failing to subside till late in the afternoon.
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