Healing touch to flood, landslide affected victims
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 16 2015: Several philanthropic organisations and the Assam Rifles have reached out to flood and landslide affected victims of Chandel and Thoubal districts.

The Young Vaiphei Association (YVA), Joint Headquarters Imphal has provided relief materials to flood and landslide affected villages of Chandel district today.

YVA today handed over Rs 1 lakh, 40 blankets, 44 mosquito nets, 20 towels, three tarpaulins, two dekchis, 24 bags of used clothes, 18 bags of rice and 25 bags of paddy as relief items to landslide affected Joumol villagers of Chandel district.

The YVA also provided Rs 25,000, 16 bags of paddy and 4 bags of rice to flood affected victims of Lailoiphai, Sugnu.

At the same time, the YVA also donated Rs 10,000 to landslide victims of Sizang in Chin State and Kale valley of neighbouring Myanmar.

Healing touch to flood, landslide affected victims

A functionary of YVA Jt Hqtrs Imphal, Haominthang Vaiphei said that the relief materials and the cash amounts were donated by its members in Imphal, Sadar Hills and generous donors from outside the State.

MLA T Manga Vaiphei flagged off the YVA relief mission team from his quarters at Lamphel this morning.

Joumol is a small hamlet in the remotest corner of Chandel district of Manipur.

On Aug 1, the tranquillity of the village was shattered by a thunderous roar.

A massive landslide during the early morning hours swept away the entire village resulting in numerous deaths and considerable loss of property.

One of the survivor of this horrific calamity miraculously made this way to the Assam Rifles post and informed about the tragedy that had befallen the village.

The officer at the post, according to a statement issued by the PRO of IGAR (S), immediately mustered a rescue party and headed towards the village wherein a spine chilling sight awaited them.

The magnitude of the slide was so enormous that it had practically altered the landscape of that area.

The entire village had got engulfed by the sliding landmass and the huts were lying in a mangled heap under a huge volume of mud, rocks and slush.

The likelihood of finding survivors appeared bleak.

Despite the inclement weather and heavy rains, the Assam Rifles rescue team, with utter disregard to their own safety, started the search for possible survivors.

Villagers from nearby villages also joined the search and after hours of painstaking search, bodies of two ladies and a child were recovered.

The following day, a team of NDRF was inducted to augment the search efforts.

The team was received at the helipad of the Assam Rifles post wherein it was briefed on the impending task and was guided to the site.

The search was further intensified and it paid off in terms of rescue of three persons.

Four more bodies were recovered after extensive search who were later given a respectful burial.

The NDRF team was accommodated at the Assam Rifles post despite tremendous space constraints, even at the cost of Assam Rifles troops sleeping under the open skies.

The survivors of Joumol were given shelter, food and first aid at the Assam Rifles post despite limited ration stocks.

The next day, braving fatigue and exhaustion of last two days, the Assam Rifles troops pressed on with their search with a faint hope of finding some more survivors.

Eventually, the rescue mission was called off after searching the area extensively for three days and exhausting all possible options.

Throughout the incident, troops of the Assam Rifles defied elements and rugged terrain and went about their duty unmindful of their personal safety and comfort, the AR statement said.

At the same time, Human Resource Innovative Front (HRIF), Heingang Kendra provided relief materials to flood affected victims of Thoubal and Chandel districts today.

A team of HRIF functionaries distributed relief materials to flood affected victims today at Tekcham, Khongjom and Serou of Thoubal district and K Molnom of Chandel district.

Spokesman of HRIF, P Saratchandra said that the relief materials were donated by public of Heingang AC and the front distributed them to the flood affected victims.

The front will also distribute relief materials to affected victims of Bishnupur soon.

Meanwhile, 21 Assam Rifles under the aegis of Headquarters 28 Sector Assam Rifles and IGAR (South) launched flood relief ops in the Tuitam Khongkhai to alleviate the sufferings of the populace.

The unit distributed eatable/ essential items and provided shelter to flood affected victims.

According to a statement issued by the PRO of IGAR (S), on July 29 the area witnessed flood situation due to heavy rains.

Water logging in Manipur Rivers and along nullahs of the Tuitam Khongkhai reached dangerous level and caused suspension bridge between Tuitam Khongkhai and Singheu to be washed away, thereby cutting off all the lines of communication.

Flood Relief has been provided by 21 Assam Rifles since Aug 1 and the situation is soon moving to normalcy however as an interim relief, an alternate link upto Tuitam Khongkhai using a boat is being provided by 21 Assam Rifles to help the locals in crossing essential stores across Manipur River, the PRO statement added.