Advisor, NSDMA, Z Nyusietho Nyuthe and Advisor, Fisheries & Aquatic Resources, A Panjung Jamir interact with the Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT), led by M Ramachandrudu, Joint Secretary (DM-II), Ministry of Home Affairs, during its visit to Tuli Sub-Division, Mokokchung, on August 12. (DIPR Photo)
Mokokchung, August 13 (MExN): The Tuli Area Coal Mining Contractors’ Association (TACMCA) has appealed for restraint and understanding amid the devastation caused by recent floods and landslides in Assam and Nagaland, urging all concerned to refrain from attributing responsibility to any individual, organisation, State or community without conclusive evidence.
Expressing concern over the loss of lives, homes, livelihoods, properties and infrastructure, the Association said the recent flooding and landslides should primarily be viewed as a severe natural calamity involving multiple contributing factors.
It pointed to the exceptionally heavy rainfall recorded in parts of Nagaland on July 18, particularly in Mokokchung, Mon, Longleng and Wokha districts, stating that rainfall several times higher than usual had created exceptionally high water flow and conditions conducive to flash flooding.
Such extreme weather events can have complex and interconnected causes and that it would be inappropriate to attribute the entire disaster to a single activity or community, the TACMCA added.
It also noted that Nagaland itself had been severely affected by the recent floods and landslides. Flooding, it said, was not unfamiliar to the Tuli area, with historical accounts and local experience pointing to major floods in the mid-20th century, May 2005 and again in July 2026.
Describing the latest event as an extraordinary natural disaster for the people of Tuli, the Association said it could, in local expression, be described as occurring “once in one putu”—an event of exceptional rarity.
It noted that Mon district experienced multiple rainfall-triggered landslides, resulting in loss of lives, property damage and disruption of normal livelihoods.
The TACMCA said the scale of devastation in Tuli, Mon, Dimapur and other parts of Nagaland was deeply concerning, with more than 1,000 households reportedly affected by floods and landslides.
Roads, bridges, community infrastructure and other public facilities were also damaged, while transportation and the movement of essential goods were seriously disrupted.
Against this backdrop, the Association appealed to communities on both sides to stand together rather than “point fingers at one another”.
It cautioned that assigning blame to an entire State, community, organisation or group without clear and established evidence could create unnecessary division and hurt people who were themselves affected by the disaster.
“Natural calamities do not recognise state boundaries or communities,” the Association said, noting that Assam and Nagaland share rivers, hills, forests, roads, markets and human relationships.
It stressed that the suffering of one community should therefore be a concern for all, calling for compassion, cooperation and mutual assistance rather than accusations and division.
The Association urged all concerned to focus on relief, rehabilitation and rebuilding, and expressed hope that Assam and Nagaland would stand together, support affected families and work collectively to reduce the impact of such disasters in the future.
“Let us help each other, understand each other and stand together in adversity,” it appealed.
The Association’s statement comes amid allegations by certain sections in Assam linking mining activities in Nagaland to the recent floods.
