IMPHAL, May 6: All educational institutions will remain close for two days in Manipur in the wake of heavy rains affecting the state.
The state govt resorted to this decision after houses and educational institutions were damaged by the Sunday hailstorm accompanied by heavy rain that affected several parts of Manipur wreaking havoc in the state.
It can be noted here that a man was killed after being hit by lightning on Sunday in Kakching district.
In the wake of widespread damages to the houses after being hit by hailstorms, the Manipur government made functional helpline numbers in each district to seek urgent assistance from the government.
Powerful hailstorms accompanied by heavy rain lashed several parts of the state in the afternoon. The powerful storm razed hundreds of houses besides tennis ball-size hail inflicting substantial damages on tin roofs.
A large number of chicken and other fowls were killed after the roofs of the poultry farms were blown out and then hit by the hails that followed.
Many roads across Imphal city saw hailstones pile up to around one inch, disturbing the normal vehicular movement. Many streets, squares and even gardens were briefly transformed into winter landscapes by the heavy hailstorms.
People compared the scene that witnessed in the city to winter streets of Kashmir.
Many streets were inundated with the hailstones melted minutes later.
Trees and electric poles were uprooted, causing power outages in several parts of the state.
Meanwhile, Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh assured swift assistance to the affected people while informing about the opening of helpline numbers for each district, in his post on the internet.
“In the wake of today’s hailstorm impacting several areas across Manipur, our priority is ensuring swift assistance for those in need. To extend support, we’ve established helpline numbers in various districts,” he wrote.
While providing the helpline numbers of each district, he further wrote “Your safety is our priority. Please reach out without hesitation if you require assistance. We’re here to support you through this challenging time.”
Deputy commissioners of each district have also issued notices asking the affected persons to submit the damage report indicating the extent of damage along with photographs to the sub-deputy collector or sub-divisional officer of their respective jurisdiction.
Manipur has been experiencing such natural furies in the last few weeks causing widespread damages to the standing crops, houses and other structures. (NNN)
