Messed-up Nagaland as India’s Millennium Goal year speeds by

The current is the terminal year for the states and union territories of India to achieve their Millennium Development Goals for 2015. While the country has been exerting thrust in infrastructural development, healthcare and poverty and welfare, Nagaland–a hilly state nestled in the canopied, often-shirked plethora called the north east region–has challenges ahead of her.

The 'Millennium Development Goals Indio Country Report-2015’, released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, lists some points of reference for  the states and union territories to exert greater thrust on.

Amid louder calls for reaffirmation of developmental accountability in both the services and infrastructure sectors, the current underplay of corruption and institutional apathy from the policy makers has created a state of lacunae. These lacunae have impacted a slant that adversely impacted the state’s growth, especially during the millennium goal-phases of 1990-to-2015. 

The lacunae for Nagaland is encompasses a struggling healthcare sector to environmental concerns, a rampaging jump in HIV and AIDS cases, to deteriorated public infrastructure and arrested development.

In his August statement acknowledging the Millennium Development Goals set for 2015, the Minister for External Affairs General (Dr.), Vijay Kumar Singh, had made clear that the concluding year to the decade’s pursuit was also a ‘year to shape’ whatever level of development had been achieved so far. 

“The year 2015 is the terminal year for the present Millennium Development Goals as well as the year for shaping up post-2015 development agendas,” Gen. (Dr.) Singh had noted in his statement.

“It is of crucial importance in the development process around the globe. This report also identifies the areas where the progress made by India is less than that at the desired levels. Therefore, more focused attention needs to be given in those areas”

Likewise, the secretary for the Ministry of Statistics & Program Implementation, Dr. TCA Anant, said while about 200 countries committed to the millennium goals, the global attainment of the MDGs critically depended much on India. “The sheer size of India, contributes a huge proportion to the attainment of global Goals of elimination of poverty, hunger and mal-nourishment, illiteracy, disease, gender discrimination, etc …” Anant said.

The ministry’s report contains updated information about the progress achieved so far in respect of the eight goals compressed into 12 targets and the 3S indicators. “Despite the resilience shown by the Indian economy in the face of global economic crisis, its impact on the development process (has) resulted in less than desirable progress in some economic and social areas,” the ministry says in the report.

Nagaland

For Nagaland, the number of sectors that are in need of attention is several. However, of them all, the progress of Nagaland in working against poverty particularly in the urban areas, healthcare and mother-child health, and HIV/AIDS stand out.

The millennium goals are inter-linked. For instance, achieving health Targets are dependent on achievement of targets in sanitation, availability of safe drinking water, clean environment, reduction of poverty and malnutrition, spread of literacy and so on. Thus, an all-round development in related sectors is required to achieve a single target, as the ministry states in its report. 

The year 2015 is the terminal year for the Millennium Development Goals. It has helped in bringing out a much needed focus and pressure on basic development issues but there needs much to be done especially for underdeveloped states such as Nagaland where an internal interplay of poor policy making and negative administrative behavior have effected development. 

For citizens who might not know, the Millennium Developmental Goals originated from the Millennium Declaration adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in September 2000. The MDGs consists of eight goals, each of them addressing interconnected developmental issues.

The eight, main, goals are:

•         To eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
•         To achieve Universal Primary Education
•         To promote Gender Equality and empower women
•         To reduce child mortality
•         To improve maternal health
•         To combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB
•         To ensure environmental sustainability
•         To develop global partnership for development

Nagaland: Increased poverty

Contrary to lofty rhetoric floated by local politicians about development and welfare security, the level of poverty in Nagaland has increased. Contrary to the all India scenario, which reflect reduction in the intensity of poverty in both rural and urban areas, in case of the Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland, the intensity of poverty has actually increased in the rural areas, the report said.

In fact, the report shows, the north eastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland are the only ones in the country that have shown an increase in poverty levels both in their urban and rural areas.

The welfare performance of Nagaland can be viewed through the Poverty Gap Ratio (PGR). The PGR is the gap by which mean consumption of the poor below poverty line falls short of the poverty line. It indicates the depth of poverty; the more the PGR, the worse is the condition of the poor.

While the number of poor people indicates spread of poverty, PGR indicates the depth. During 2004-05 to 2011-12, PGR also decreased in both rural and urban areas in India. While the rural PGR declined from 9.64 in 2004-05 to 5.05 in 2011-12 in the urban areas it declined from 6.08 to 2.70 during the same period. A nearly 50% decline in PGR both in rural and urban areas during 2004-05 to 2011-12, reflects that the conditions of poor have improved both in urban and rural areas

However, although at the all India level the Poverty Gap Ratio declined substantially in both rural and urban areas during 2004-5 to 2011-12, some states are still running a tough race. Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Odisha reported substantially higher reduction in PGR (higher than the national average) in rural areas. But the states of Odisha, Bihar, Maharashtra and Punjab reported higher reduction of PGR in urban areas. In some States PGR actually increased during 2004-12.

In case of the Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland, the intensity of poverty actually increased in the rural areas and both in urban and rural areas in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland, the report states.

Nagaland: Anomaly in mother-child health performance  

Another Indicator of Nagaland’s performance in the health welfare sector is the percentage of births attended by skilled health personnel. The states of Kerala, Goa and Tamil Nadu have already achieved nearly 100% coverage of births attended by skilled health personnel. By the current 2015, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh are expected to achieve universal coverage of births by skilled health personnel.

In addition to these states, the states of Jammu& Kashmir, Karnataka Odisha, Rajasthan, and Sikkim are expected to reach close to 100% coverage of births attended by skilled health personnel. Considering the live births, the percentage of live births attended by skilled health personnel (SRS 2013), among bigger States of India, ranges from 68.7% in Jharkhand to 99.8% in Kerala.

Nagaland: Losing battle to HIV / AIDS

Another concern that Nagaland has failed in asserting its intervention rhetoric, is the fight against HIV /AIDS. From being the sixth, and to the fourth, and subsequently to being the state in the country with the highest prevalence-rate of HIV /AIDS, the once- “fastest developing” northeastern state of Nagaland is a story of failure.

Ironically, even as the pursuit for the millennium goals are to conclude this year, it was this year istelf, in May, that Nagaland was declared the state in the country with the highest HIV-Prevalence, with a general population prevalence rate of 0.88. In other words, one out of an estimated 113 persons in Nagaland is living with HIV.

According to the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), HIV/AIDS prevalence among the general population in Nagaland State stood at 0.88 as against the all-India average of 0.35 (calculated from ANC attendees). Previously the highest prevalence state, Manipur stood at 0.64. This was stated in NACO’s latest HIV Sentinel Surveillance report, 2012-13.

“While there been a long term significant decline in all traditionally high prevalence states, Nagaland and Mizoram have shown a comparatively high overall prevalence at a state level on a year to year basis (2010-11 and 2012-13),” stated the NACO in its analysis.

The reports points to another worry: the HIV prevalence among pregnant women (15-24 yrs) is highest in Nagaland (1.16%). Behind Nagaland is Mizoram with a rate of 0.97%. During 2008-13, the indicator showed a declining trend in all the states except for the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura and Uttarakhand.

In spite of the existence of myriad developmental initiatives in the form of programs and policies to address the major areas of concern as outlined in the millennium goals, the progress toward achieving them continues to be slow by large.

(Report by: Al Ngullie)

Tweet

Clogged drains strike back: House goes underwater thanks to public's garbage

Torrential rains coupled with a glaring case of negligence and lack of civic sense of citizens and authorities alike caused a flood-like situation at the side of Kohima’s Secretariat Road, near Working Women’s Hostel on Thursday.

Unchecked garbage washed downstream of ‘Sanorü’ by a heavy downpour on Wednesday night reportedly accumulated at the mouth of a culvert running under the road, which already had a huge build-up of sediments.

Subsequently, the accumulation clogged the outlet and caused flooding wherein one house located on the banks was submerged. However, there was no casualty as the occupants of the house reportedly vacated the house in anticipation of such an event.

Naga citizens have long heard about neglected or clogged drains and sewerage in Nagaland flooding roads and public areas with garbage. Maybe clogged drains are finally ‘fighting back’ against the apathy shown by citizens and public mechanisms and, hopefully, attract some attention.

The case is arguably the first of its kind in the recent times. The submerged house is located in the area of High School colony along the Secretariat road in Kohima town. The unfortunate dwelling has been submerged completely as a result of increased water level after the nearby drainage system was clogged by accumulated garbage, soil sediment and other waste materials from upstream.

According to reports, the ill-fated house was occupied by two families of daily wage laborers. They had to evacuate on the night of August 5 following a heavy downpour that lashed the capital. As a result, the accumulating water, with no outlet, rose thereby creating a large temporary dam-like pool to submerge the house.

As per the reports of those living nearby, only one culvert was open for quite some time now and they were apprehensive of the situation. This indicates that the other four were already clogged from before but were left neglected.

It is learnt that the two families are safe and at this time, relocated to a temporary shelter. However, they could not save their personal belongings from the flood, reports said.

The two photographs show the house that was submerged on Thursday, August 6, in Kohima following a heavy downpour. The submerged house is located in the area of High School colony along the Secretariat road in Kohima town. The unfortunate dwelling has been submerged completely as a result of increased water level after the nearby drainage system was clogged by accumulated garbage, soil sediment and other waste materials from upstream.    

An official of the Public Works Department (Roads &Bridges) engineer Supong said at the site that the department has deployed a workforce along with other personnel from the departments of Irrigation & Flood control, Fire and emergency service and the Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA) since the morning of August 6.

The purpose was to ‘contain further damage by draining off the accumulated water downstream with the help of water pumps’, the official explained. He expressed confidence that the task would be accomplished if the weather holds for the next 24 hours.

Also, executive engineer for Irrigation and flood control, Thepfusalie voiced concern that the instances such as clogged sewerage and drainages would create flood-like situations for people living downstream, and even result in loss of life and properties. He added that various precautionary measures have been set up by the department.

According to some officials at the site, the clogged drainage along the secretariat road created a temporary dam below the Working Women’s Hostel. The water level rose to nearly 25 feet and flood vegetations. The house in question was wedged between ridges that connect Kohima town with the Assembly Secretariat areas. .

The depth of the flood water is being estimated to be running about 25 feet. The external boundary wall of the Working Women’s Hostel which reportedly measures about 15 feet tall also got submerged. Hordes of garbage comprising polythene bags, sacks, empty bottles, detergent and food item wrappings etc could be seen floating on the water, a sign of rampant dumping of wastes in drains practiced by many people in the state capital.

The Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority is coordinating with line departments including the Civil Defense & Home Guards, district administration officials, Fire & Emergency Services, Irrigation & Flood Control, PWD, Police, Agriculture and Fisheries among others, to ‘bring the situation under control’.

NSDMA officials have expressed concern that if the soil gets too saturated the road may give way. They informed that vehicular traffic has been closed at 6 pm this evening and the workforce will continue to clear out the flood.

4-5 water pumps are being used to pump out the water as there is a risk of more flooding if it rains again, and on the other hand, if any of the culverts give way then the houses located downstream could be affected in a major way.

Earlier during the day, several state officials including the Home Commissioner Neihu C Thur and NSDMA secretary T Ao inspected the spot.

Deputy Commissioner of Kohima Rovilatuo Mor, who is also the chairman of the Kohima District Disaster Management Board, is supervising the work being carried out on the site.

The site leads a road, one of the main roads in Kohima town leading to the Secretariat, the Assembly Secretariat and different departmental directorates.

Tweet

NPMHR to reconnect with border communities

The Naga Peoples’ Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) will be traveling to communities living in the border areas of Assam and Nagaland this week as a part of attempts to ‘re-affirm the importance of age-old practice and bond and reclaim the age-old ties and relationships by means of re-living the past through exchange of traditional and cultural practices’.

The organization will be commemorating International Day for the World’s Indigenous Peoples at Yanpha village, bordering Assam on August 9, Sunday at 11 am.

The organization issued a press release on Wednesday, August 5, informing about the program.

The press release stated: “Resonating with the rest of the world, the Naga Peoples’ Movement for Human Rights will commemorate the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples’ together with neighboring indigenous communities, viz., the Karbis and the Tai-Ahoms of Assam, along with the Rengma Nagas of Assam, and the leaders of Naga Students’ Federation, Indigenous Women Forum of North East India, the Lotha Hoho and the people living in a border village of Yanpha and its adjoining areas under Wokha District, Nagaland”.

“In understanding the fundamental need for strengthening the indigenous peoples’ roles and responsibilities as custodians of their land and ecosystem, the NPMHR will be organizing a one-day programme”.

The NPMHR stated that the civil organizations will “converge to celebrate our age-old neighbourly ties, share our cultural values and practice systems, and dialogue with one another for a more cohesive approaches for undertaking the realization of this year’s UN’s theme, ‘Indigenous Peoples’ as Custodians of the Land and its Ecosystem’’.

In the words of the NPMHR, “or centuries, the Nagas, Ahoms and Karbis have been maintaining strong political, social and economic ties with each other through acknowledgment of land boundaries”.  Trading through barter system was a central element in strengthening our ties as indigenous communities, the NMPHR stated. Citing an example, It said that agricultural produce such as cotton, linseed, ginger, and fruits from the Naga areas would be traded with salt from the Ahom people of Assam.

The organization stated: “However, in recent years, disputes and misunderstandings have emerged often intensifying into serious conflicts for ownership of land, a colonial legacy, which, in the interest of neo colonial Delhi government, still continues. Conflict over land disputes has emerged not directly between the indigenous neighbours but because of immigrants backed by state government and its policies over the past decades, Ralan area in Wokha district being an example of recent memory where the indigenous Naga community has been pushed to the wall for their land occupied by immigrants from other states of India along the Nagaland-Assam states border”.

While stating that the non-indigenous immigrant peoples residing in “our lands owe respect and co-operation to us in managing our land and ecosystem,” the NMPHR said, “In as much as they are assets to the land, it is also only just that these fellow social groups do not cause conflicts among the indigenous communities whose land they occupy”.

The organization envisaged that “we, the indigenous peoples, will partner with these social groups in the search for more responsible custody of our land and continuance of the ecosystems”.

Re-affirming the importance of ‘age-old practice and bond’, the NPMHR hopes to strengthen and ‘reclaim the age-old ties and relationships by means of re-living the past through exchange of traditional and cultural practices’.

The cultural exchange and dialogue on August 9 at Yanpha under Wokha District, Nagaland will also be marked by ‘folklores’, folk songs and dances, and exchange of indigenous seeds and plants followed by a dialogue on ways to peace-building among indigenous groups and preservation of the eco-system, the NPMHR stated.  

Tweet

Thewati waits for respite after monsoon horror

•         'Flood turned small stream into river’
•          Body of flood victim untraced
•          ‘Thanks to PWD, neglected road has worsened’
•          Landslides vex trapped villagers  

The small village of new Thewati village in Phek district continues to await respite following the previous weeks’ torrential rains that reportedly claimed the life of a person and destroyed a host of bridges, roads and crops.

The district administration of Phek district has offered updates on Wednesday, August 5, about the situation in the affected areas of Phek district. The deputy commissioner’s establishment informed that the floods in the village’s area, under Meluri sub-division, were more serious than initially believed.

Describing the flood in Thewati village on August 1 as “a very serious flash flood”, the administration stated that a team of district officials including police officials visited the area on the first itself to get a first-hand account of the situation. The team included the sub-divisional officer (civil) of Meluri, and office-in-charge of Meluri Police station. 

Likewise, the deputy commissioner of Phek and a team of officials comprising administrative officers, engineers went to the spot and “verified the actual happening,” the press release informed.

The visiting officials found that the flush flood was ‘too serious that the small stream became as wide as 200 feet and 35 feet deep’, the administration said. The flood also destroyed all the roads and bridges such as Khayoti, Liyakti, Yuthriti and Letsam. The bridge connecting Laruri to Phokhungri were all washed away as well, the updates stated.

The press release said also said that the body of Jacob Pochury, who was reportedly swept away during the floods in Khayoti River, has yet to be traced.

“The landslides in several locations have been blocked the New Thewati-Phokhungri road. In this occurrence of natural disaster 5 villages of Phokhungri Administrative circle have been cut off from other part of the state,” the district administration stated.

“The whole villagers of the area have been fully engaged for construction of temporary wooden bridges and clearing of landslides on voluntary and free labour so that to open the road”.

The deputy commissioner of Phek is said to have donated a sum of Rs. 80,000 to the president of Phek Area Public Organization and Rs. 40,000 to the extra assistant commissioner of Phokhungri under which the affected village is. The donation is to assist in mobilizing the public to construct a temporary bridge and to clear landslide-affected areas at the earliest.

The district administration also found that the main approach road for the area had “become very vulnerable” following years of negligence by the Public Works Department (Roads & Bridges).

‘After the Border Roads Organization handed over the said road to PWD (R&B) department during several years ago, the department has not given even least attention to maintain the said road and it has become very vulnerable,’ the district administration stated.

‘If the road is not opened immediately, the problem will become more complicated due to the shortage of essential commodities. However, it is to suggest in construction of ‘pucca’ structure bridges in all the four locations at the earliest by the concern department, i.e. PWD (R&B) department,’ the administration stated.

Tweet

Center releases funds to Nagaland for AMRUT smart city plan

• 482 cities identified under Atal Mission
• Water supply and sewerage connection to each house
• Plans for each city aggregated into State Level Action Plans
• Housing for all by 2022 scheme 

The Ministry of urban development has released Rs.120 crore to states including two towns in Nagaland, to prepare developmental plans as a part of the ambitious nationwide urban development project Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation scheme (AMURT).  

It is informed that the Secretary to the Urban Development Ministry, Madhusudan Prasad, has written to all the chief secretaries of states identified for the project, asking them send the State Annual Action Plans at the earliest.

This information was received from official government publicity on Tuesday, August 4. 

According to information available to this reporter, the Ministry of Urban Development has released about Rs.120 crore to states and union territories for preparation of what has been dubbed the ‘Service Level Improvement Plans’ (SLIP) for each of the 482 cities identified under the AMRUT program.

In the first release of funds under the Atal Mission, each mission city has been given an advance assistance of Rs. 25 lakhs for preparation of SLIP.

Under AMRUT, the primary purpose is to cover all urban households with water supply and sewerage including septic systems before taking up other projects related to storm water drains, urban transport and provision of public and green spaces.

SLIP for each selected city/town is required to identify gaps in provision of water supply and sewerage connections and draw up detailed plans for bridging the gaps. SLIP will also include strategies to mobilize resources including for operation and maintenance costs and plan for implementation of reforms.

All the city level service level Improvement plans will be aggregated into State Annual Action Plan at the level of each state. The plans would be sent to the Ministry of Urban Development for approval. However, unlike the procedure required in another city development program, the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, the ministry would not assess and approve individual projects for AMRUT.

  

So far, the ministry has identified 482 cities and towns each with a population of above one lakh under AMRUT which was launched on June 25, 2015.

The aggregate cities:

Uttar Pradesh with 60 cities, West Bengal with 59 cities, Maharashtra with 43 cities, 32 cities from Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, 31 cities each from Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan with 28 cities, Karnataka with 27 cities, Bihar with 26 cities, Haryana with 20 cities, Punjab with 16 cities, Telangana will 11 cities, 9 cities each from Chattisgarh and Odisha, 7 cities each from Kerala and Jharkhand, Uttarakhand with 6 cities, 4 each from Assam and Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir with 3 cities, 2 cities each for Nagaland and Puducherry, one each from the A&N Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Dadar and Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Lakshdweep, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim and Tripura.

The remaining 18 cities will be chosen from the cities and towns on the stems of main rivers, from hill states and tourist destinations, available information suggests.

Under AMRUT, central assistance will be one-third of the project cost for cities with a population of above 10 lakh and 50% of project cost for cities/towns with a population of below 10 lakh for projects related to water supply, sewerage, septic systems, storm water drains and urban transport. Balance funding is to be arranged by State governments and urban local bodies including through PPP.

After the approval of State Annul Action Plans (SAAP), first installment of over Rs.2,000 crore will be received for implementation of city level SLIPs.

Allocation of funds under AMRUT for states and union territories are based on an objective criteria giving equal weight to the urban population and number of statutory cities and towns in each state  / union territory.

From JNNURM to AMRUT

Based on the learning from the implementation of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission that ended up in sub-optimal physical and financial performance, the Central Government has radically overhauled the Operational Guidelines for implementation of Smart Cities Mission, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and Housing for All Mission in Urban Areas.

The guidelines released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the launch of the three new urban missions in June allow the states and union territories full liberty and flexibility in formulation, approval and execution of projects under the three missions.

The two urban ministries have sought to ensure timely sanction and execution and certainty of resources for various projects and participation of citizens in identifying development needs under the new urban schemes.

The central government has virtually withdrawn from the earlier practice of appraising and sanctioning individual projects, there by ending the scope for subjectivity and discretion.

The major new provisions incorporated in the Guidelines and common to all the three urban missions include:

The objective criteria for selection of cities and allocation of funds:

·        

• Potential Smart Cities and AMRUT cities are to be based on an objective and equitable criteria giving equal weight to urban population and number of statutory cities in each state / union territory.

• Housing Mission to be implemented in all the 4,041 statutory cities/towns.

• For smart city development, each selected city will be provided central assistance of Rs.100 crore per year.

• AMRUT, allocation of funds will be as per urban population and number of cities / towns in each state / union territory   

• To avoid delays and non-completion of projects on account of lack of resources, states / union territories will now be required to firmly indicate resource tie ups under state level action plans.

• To enhance urban governance, clear Action Plans for timely implementation of identified reforms need to be indicated.
• State level Action Plans to clearly indicate convergence with other central and state government schemes as appropriate for resource maximization

• Public-Private Partnership model shall be the main resource of resource mobilization.

• Involvement of members of parliament and state assemblies in formulation and monitoring of projects provided for.

Mission-wise guidelines for better execution of project:

·        - No projects without availability of land and all necessary clearances shall be included in the Mission by states / UTs.

·        - States shall transfer funds to urban local bodies within 7 days of transfer by central government and no diversion of funds to be made failing which penal interest would be charged besides taking other adverse action by the centre.

·        - Action Plans should provide for O&M costs for assets created for at least five years based on user charges.

·       - For water supply, sewerage, “septage”, storm water drains and urban transport, centre’s share to be in the range of 1/3 of project cost to 50%. States are to mobilize the balance with its own share being not less than 20%.

- The mission will be implemented as a centrally-sponsored scheme. Share of states / union territories vary from one to the other. Under AMRUT, share of states shall not be less than 20%.

Tweet

Emergency in Phek & Kiphire: Rains bring death and destruction

Heavy rainfall has brought death and destruction in several villages in Phek and Kiphire district during the past couple of days leaving one person believed dead while a huge number of concrete bridges, roads and fields have been either swept away or extensively damaged. 

Also, villagers of Thewati village under Meluri sub-division of Phek district are reported to be trapped between five overflowing rivers (Khayowti, Lüyakti, Yowthriti, and Lüyakti and Zezüti rivers between Shilloi and Laruri) as main bridges have reportedly been swept away.

Amid the havoc, villagers in Meluri have also reported to have abandoned the area following an unusual sound under the land that the district administration and village authorities have described as being similar to the thunderous roar of an airplane and accompanied by tremors and the smell of gas similar to gunpowder from under the ground.

Reports coming in on Saturday, August 1, from various sources including administrative agencies and village authorities appear to confirm that mud-flow, landslides, and sinking of the village areas have swept away village lands, vital connectivity infrastructure and crops.

Likewise, a 23 year old man, the son of a pastor, is reported to have been swept away, various new sources informed on Saturday.

Currently the only available photographs, these two images show flooded roads and bridges in the remote village of Thewati under Meluri of Phek following heavy rains during the past week. Local sources said on Saturday that a person was swept away by floods while two persons were injured. Bridges and local infrastructure including vital bridges were said to have been swept away in the area of Thewati village. 

Administration seeks scientists’ help in tracing unidentified sound 

Following untraced and unidentified sound described to be similar to the roar of an airplane coming from the land, the district administration of Phek district has issued an urgent appeal to the commissioner of Nagaland to immediately undertake “geological examination.” The land the sound and ‘shaking’ land has been reported to originate is in the areas of Thewati village in Meluri subdivision of Phek district.

District deputy commissioner of Phek Murohu Chotso issued a press release on Saturday stating that an unidentified loud roar is being heard in the stated area.

“On account  of the heavy rainfall, there were occurrences of   land slide, mud flow, sinking, etc. even the village site was shaking and the villagers could hear a very peculiar and dreaded  sound at the village and the whole site of the village was badly affected . Therefore the whole villagers have already ran away from home abandoning their properties to Old Thewati village for life security,” the district administrator stated.

Unless the location is scientifically proven by geologists to be safe, the villagers cannot live peacefully in   their own village any further, the deputy commissioner stated.

‘In this case, a geological examination of the village site is immediately required and accordingly, it is to request your kind authority to depute some of your geologist/scientist to examine the site at the earliest please’, the district’s appeal stated.

The administration said that new Thewati village under Phokhungri  area of Meluri sub-division had been “facing a very dangerous situation due to mud-flow, land slide, and sinking of  the village site on account of continuous heavy rainfall”.

“Therefore, it is to request your kind authority to depute some of the Geologist to examine the case at the earliest,” the administration added.

Pochury Hoho recounts destruction in Phek

The Pochury Hoho has offered updates to the media concerning the reported calamity in Phek. The organization issued a message on Saturday. According to the tribal organization, new Thewati village was hit by an “abnormally protuberance of monsoon water” on July 31. The downpour has swept away five bridges including an Iron bridge and two wooden bridges, and a concrete slate bridges.

Also, ‘…a young man of 23 years of age, one Jacob, son of Paratsü, an ex-pastor, have been swept away, while two men have been injured. The lower khel of the village have been flooded by the water. Out of fear, the villagers moved up to the upper khel,’ the organization stated.

“The villagers are now trapped between five overflowing rivers (Khayowti, Lüyakti, Yowthriti, and Lüyakti and Zezüti rivers between Shilloi and Laruri). All the bridges have been swept away. The villagers cannot cross to other sides due to swamp-like in and around their houses due to this unexpected flood – neither to Phokhungri side nor towards Meluri side,” the message read.

Mysterious sound, tremors, gas under land;
villagers trapped

The organization has narrated the mysterious sound as well. “To add their misery and helplessness, the villagers are frightened by the sound like that of an aeroplane from below the ground, at same time producing a gas with a smell like that of gun powder,” the Pochury community organization stated.

The panicked villagers want to vacate the village to other safety places but cannot “go to anywhere as there is no other ways and means to pass through these rivers. The villagers are virtually trapped with nowhere to go,” the organization said.

The Pochury Hoho has appealed to the authorities in concern including the disaster management agencies and the district administration to immediately rescue the people of the said area.

“Any further delay will jeopardize the lives of people not only new Thewati but the old Thewati villagers as well due to want of basic necessities and suspected poisonous gas that gush out from below.

The Pochury community has also appealed to the neighboring villages to render their services in helping the villagers as well as “reconstruct the damaged/destroyed bridges to enable the people to pass through to either sides at the earliest”.

Crops, bridges and roads swept away in Kiphire: Reports

Elsewhere in the state, the district of Kiphire has also reported that heavy rains have destroyed crops, culverts, bridges and fishery pond and roads, especially in the areas of Huhdanger village in the district. The Village Council of Huhdanger and Village Development Board authorities issued a message to the media on Saturday informing about the reported destruction.

“On 20th July 2015, nine terrace fields, three fishery ponds and three major bridges of fields has been affected and had left behind deserted due to flood caused by incessant rain where hopes and hard works of the said villagers had washed away and completely destroyed. It had happened once in 1983 and we are facing the same again after 32 years,” the village’s authorities stated in the note.

“Due to incessant raining, the heavy flood has come from Hurong River, Kekhip-Yung and a combination of many small rivers has overflowed the fields and even some of the jhum cultivation has affected”.

Further,  in the words of the village, many road culverts and roadsides between Kichang-via-Huronger to Huhdanger “has drowned away and damage due to the heavy rain, where the general public are facing the untold problems where road is considered as the life line of all living without which, one’s society and living is paralyzed”.

The village’s authorities have appealed to the departments and agencies of the district, administrators, and road construction entities to visit the area and “enhance the possibility of the well-being of the general public”.

The village council has estimated that the area of cultivated land damaged by the rains to be approximately 88 acres and at around 10 lakh in terms of money, not including infrastructure such as roads, culverts or bridges.

“99% of the villagers are depending and survive with the help of fields. Agriculture is the main stay and livelihood for the villagers,” the message read. The village is located in one of the district’s most remote areas, at least 41 kilometers away from the district headquarter of Kiphire, the village council added. 

Tweet