HT Correspondent
DIMAPUR, Sept 14: After an on-the-spot assessment of the damages caused by monsoon rain and landslides in different parts of Nagaland, an inter-ministerial central team (IMCT) at a meeting with state chief secretary J Alam and other state government officials assured to provide immediate relief assistance to the state under the central assistance schemes, especially focusing on road connectivity restoration at the earliest.
At the meeting held in the chief secretary’s office in Kohima on Friday evening, joint secretary (freedom fighters and rehabilitation division), ministry of home affairs, Anant Kishore Saran, who leads the IMCT, said the team would give its recommendations and suggestions to the Union home ministry for taking long-term disaster mitigation measures in the state.
Noting that the geological condition of Nagaland is very fragile, Saran said such natural disasters reoccur yearly in the state due to its terrain and other contributory factors.
He said the current office memorandum submitted by the state government to the Centre on monsoon disasters requires a revision.
Expressing his regret for not being able to visit all the other disaster-affected areas in the state, Saran, however, said by visiting a few affected areas, the team was able to assess the massive damages caused by monsoon rain.
He lauded the Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority and the state government for addressing and tackling the disaster in a scientific way.
Chief secretary Alam briefed the central team about the various challenges Nagaland faces during the monsoon season. He urged the team to support the state with timely assistance, especially focusing on road and its maintenance.
Alam also thanked the central team for visiting the state and assessing the damages.
At the meeting, OSD, Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority, Johnny Ruangmei, presented a brief overview of the monsoon damages in the state.
