Need immdiate aid, say hailstorm victims
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 07 2024: People who have no roof over their head can't wait for the Government to conduct surveys and collect damage reports to receive assistance, said victims of the May 5 hailstorm that wreaked havoc in parts of Manipur.

The hailstorm affected people need immediate assistance.

They can't sleep under broken roofs amid rainfall.

They need tin sheets to repair the roofs of their houses.

They need money to buy the tin sheets now, said Nongpok Ningthou Pan-thoibi Development Com- mittee Keirao Bitra, representing the people whose houses have been devastated by the unprecedented hailstorm on May 5 .

Need immdiate aid, say hailstorm victims

Keirao Bitra falls under Imphal East district, and many villages in the neighbourhood have been affected by the hailstorm.

Speaking to media persons at Nongpok Ningthou Panthoibi Shanglen, the committee's secretary, Heikham Jadumani said the Government shouldn't take time to deliver relief and assistance considering the nature of the damage.

He said at least 500 houses in Keirao Bitra have been damaged by the hailstorm, and majority of the households are daily wage earners.

While the hailstones shattered the roofs of the houses, other household articles and properties including clothing have also been damaged.

With the roofs broken beyond repair, people are now sleeping under tarpaulins and taking shelter with relatives, he said.

He added, many of the families are taking shelter at the State run Ayush Hospital.

"Rainfall has been predicted to last several days and people can't sleep under broken roofs.

They need immediate assistance.

They can't wait for the Government to conduct surveys and collect reports to receive assistance," he said.

Urging the Government to jump into action to provide immediate assistance, Jadumani said Keirao Bitra villagers are ready to assist the Government in delivering the aid.

A family whose house was damaged by the hailstorm said, "What we need immediately is tin sheets to make a roof.

Amid the unpredictable and incessant rains, we can't wait.

While we are salvaging whatever that is left of our house, we have no spare time to visit Government offices and fill up forms to receive aid" .

Separately, Manipur Loumi Lup has appealed to the Government to provide assistance to hailstorm victims in time. It said the Government's initiative to provide relief through the district administration is nost likely to take time when people's needs are immediate.

People who have lost roofs can't wait for pictures to be taken and submit them to the district administration.

Instead the Government should depute its officers to the field to collect true data of the damage and expedite immediate relief, it said.

Further, the Government should provide assistance to farmers who have lost crops and livestock to the hailstorm, it added.