Several paddy fields, houses, and livestock belonging to villages of Western Rengma Nagas in Karbi Anglong were reportedly destroyed by flooding of the Khanari River after unexpected cloudburst hit the region on August 15. Informing this in a press note, president Western Rengma Students’ Union Nagaland (WRSUN), stated that five Western Rengma villages under Karbi Anglong district namely Richangarinyu Village, Nkhenlari nyu Village, Khowani Village, Ridongunyu Village and Phentseronyu Village were the worst affected.
One child has been drowned in the flood, WRSUN informed.
So far no relief materials could be provided to the affected villages as the only road connecting the five villages with the rest of the state has been inundated by the flooding river and news of the disaster couldn’t be disseminated on time due to lack of telecommunication facilities in the area, it stated. Therefore, WRSUN has appealed for “kind attention and assistance in cash or kinds for the affected villagers from the Government, NGOs and individuals.”
The union also appealed the government to consider providing chopper services for the purpose of dropping relief materials in case the road connectivity couldn’t be restored within the next few days.
WRSUN informed that in Richangarinyu village three paddy fields were destroyed, seven houses, 30 paddy fields, 29 cows and nine pigs were drowned, and one water pumping machine washed away in Nkhenlarinyu village, eight fields were washed away by the flood and one child was drowned in Khowani village, while 15 paddy fields were destroyed by the flood in Phentsero village and three in Ridonganyu village.