HT DIGITAL
IMPHAL, JULY 17: A tribal male aged 34 was killed in a catastrophic mudslide accident caused by continuous heavy rains in Manipur’s Churachandpur district. Authorities confirmed on Thursday that the victim, Sonminthang, son of Paogin and a native of Old Phaisat village under Henglep Sub-Division, was found dead near the Mimva River banks early Wednesday morning.
The tragic accident took place when Sonminthang and his father were sleeping in a small shack at their jhum cultivation site. Unbeknownst to them, a mudslide, which had been triggered by relentless rain, rushed through the land. Paogin survived unscathed, but his son was swept away by the rushing debris and water, leading to his premature demise.
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While Churachandpur tragedy makes eminent sense of the risks taking by poor farmer communities, effects of the spate of downpours are felt throughout the state. In adjacent Noney district, incessant rains over the last two days have caused several landslides, suspending traffic along National Highway-37 in full measure. The important highway links the state capital Imphal with Silchar in Assam through Jiribam and is a lifeline for the carriage of essential commodities.
The first significant landslide took place at about 2 a.m. on Wednesday at Longchum, followed by another at Ramkhul village soon after, as per official reports. The blockages thus left many vehicles, including trucks with essential supplies for Imphal and escorted oil tankers, stranded. Vehicles travelling to Jiribam have also been stranded close to Noney.
Officials from the highway construction company ABCI have estimated the damage, and restoration work is underway. Dumper trucks and excavators have been sent in to clean up the debris and restore connectivity as fast as possible.
In a connected development, floodwaters have flooded portions of the Khoupum Dam zone in Noney district, some 80 kilometers from Imphal. Officials said that almost 30 hectares of standing paddy fields in Longsai village and surrounding areas of the Khoupum Valley are flooded, evoking serious apprehensions over crop loss and food security.
In addition to this, power supply in a number of villages has been affected by the damaged infrastructure, including destroyed electric poles. The Leimatak River is now overflowing above the danger mark, making people even more apprehensive about further flooding and destruction in the coming days.
