At least six people have died and 4000 families have been evacuated to safer places following torrential rain and flashflood across Nagaland since last month, a top government official said here today.
The road connectivity has been badly affected in Kiphire district bordering Myanmar which has been totally cut off from all sides, while the IAF has been airdropping food in the affected areas including Kiphire.
At least six lives have been lost in Kohima and Zunheboto districts since July and food and relief materials were being dropped at various places in the state, Chief Secretary Temjen Toy told reporters here.
"We have made successful droppings of rations at Tening. But we were unsuccessful at Kiphire, Tobu and some others places because of bad weather," Toy said replying to a question that several affected families did not have enough food.
Tening is located in the southern most district of Peren while Tobu is in the northern district of Mon.
Around 400 villages across the state have been affected while around 4000 families evacuated to safer places due to damage of habitations, the chief secretary said.
"Various departments and agencies have been working round the clock and the damage could have been worse if timely support was not provided to the affected people," he said.
Kiphire district in eastern Nagaland has been cut off from all sides and repair and restoration works are on in full swing, Toy said adding that an 8 km patch that had been washed away was restored to some extent.
The Indian Air Force today carried out seven sorties to airdrop essential commodities, including rice, pulses, onions, potatoes, cooking oil, salt, milk powder, sugar and tea leaves, Defence PRO Col C Konwer said.
The IAF would be air dropping a total of 10,352 kg of essential commodities in areas such as Tening, Tobu and Kiphire, Konwer said.
The chief secretary said currently only temporary repair work of roads was being carried out and what the state needed to look forward to was a permanent solution.
"We need active technical support and hand holding from the Government of India because there are areas where we do not have the experience," Toy said.
Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju, state Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and officers from the Centre yesterday reviewed the situation in the aftermath of the calamities.
Rijiju was scheduled to survey the affected areas but was unable to do so due to inclement weather.
During a review meeting at Dimapur yesterday, the Union minister assured the Nagaland government of all help and said a Central team would be sent to the state to assess the damage caused by flood.
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