Imphal, May 23 (IANS): Manipur was on Monday on the verge of being cut off from the rest of the country after rockslides hit the Imphal-Dimapur highway (NH-2) near Kohima in Nagaland, even as torrential rains continued to wreak havoc in the state.
The Imphal-Silchar highway (NH-37) is already blocked due to multiple rockslides.
Besides, a portion of the Imphal river bank, measuring over 100 ft, was breached near Kyamgei in Imphal on Sunday night, washing away and submerging hundreds of houses. Villagers told IANS that when they went to the Irrigation and Flood Control department to take flood control materials, the officials told them there was nothing with them that they could give for flood control. The government has been maintaining that flood control materials were well in stock and available for the people.
Meanwhile, water also entered the power sub-station at Mayang Imphal forcing the officials to shut it down. An official said: "The power supply will be stopped till the situation improves."
Due to rockslides, the border town of Moreh was already cut off.
Tamenglong district is also cut off from other parts of the state and has been without power for several weeks as transmission lines were brought down during cloudbursts.
Farmers have incurred staggering losses as the standing crops and vegetables were destroyed. Some fish farmers said: "The flash floods have destroyed our farms. Fish worth lakhs of rupees swum away in the flood waters."
Due to overflowing and breaching of banks of major rivers in Thoubal district many villages were now submerged.
Some displaced villagers said: "The government has not come to our rescue. Evacuation and relief centres are yet to be opened. We are facing problems in arranging food since everything is under water now." There were demands for providing food packets since cooking was difficult in view of the surging flood waters.
An official told IANS that members of the state disaster response force were being rushed to the areas where there were major floods. "But the members faced obstruction from those who had blockaded the road," said the official. The protesters were demanding the arrest of three Muslim youths who had opened fire at some women and students at Nungrei on April 17, injuring 14 of them.
Vehicles stranded in Nagaland after incessant rains
Imphal, May 23 (IANS): Scores of vehicles were stranded on different state and national highways near Kohima, the state capital of Nagaland, due to landslides following incessant rains, authorities said on Monday. More rains are forecast in the next two days.
Goods-laden trucks, passenger buses and private vehicles bound for Imphal were among those stranded.
Traffic agencies in Imphal said: "A number of vehicles are stranded. There is a fear of fresh rockslides along the highways including NH-2 which connects Dimapur to Imphal."
Manipur was likely to be cut off from the rest of the country if more landslides hit NH-2, halting traffic movement completely.
Many consumer items vanished from the markets as transportation of rice, fuel and other items to Manipur was disrupted.
Manipur markets were also affected by repeated shutdowns, observed to demand creation of a price fixation committee in Manipur. One consumer said: "In absence of the committee, wholesalers are fixing prices whimsically."
"The other lifeline of Manipur, NH-37 was already impassable. In fact, Tamenglong district through which NH-37 passes was inaccessible," officials said.
The Border Roads Organisation which looks after the national highways in the northeastern region was working to clear the debris on both the highways. However, sources said it will take several days before traffic movement could be restored.
Hundreds of persons, including students and candidates who are to appear in some examinations, were unable to leave Manipur and Nagaland due to the landslides.
