The Eastern Air Command of Indian Air Force could not airdrop essential commodities in the landslide-affected districts of Nagaland due to inclement weather on Friday.
Sources said two Air Force helicopters with essential commodities took off from Dimapur airport in the morning but had to return as landing in the affected areas was not possible because of bad weather condition. The commodities were loaded in the airport.
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The districts where essential commodities were to be airdropped included Tening and 36 Assam Rifles company camp in Peren district, Tobu in Mon district, Kiphire headquarters and Pungro in Kiphire district and Noklak and Noksen in Tuensang district.
The state home department has tied up with the Union ministry of home affairs for air lifting essential commodities to the cut off areas. However, the operation has been kept on standby at present owing to the prevailing inclement weather conditions in the affected areas.
The food and civil supplies department has prepared the food grains for transport as and when the air lifting is feasible.
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The state government said it is making all-out efforts to reach essential commodities, including petroleum products to Kiphire and Pungro area, which have been completely cut off due to massive landslides and sinking of portions of roads leading to the district from both Meluri and Tuensang sides.
According to the district administration, Kiphire has foodstock to last for a couple of days and rationing has been imposed for food and petroleum products.
The officers from the district administration of both Kiphire and Meluri camped at the spot where a large section of the road has sunk 8km from Meluri side.
Temporary transit camps have been constructed with the help of volunteers on either side for facilitating manual carriage of essential commodities across the affected area from where the trucks could be utilised to transport the goods to Kiphire.
Incessant rains that triggered multiple landslides and mudslides in several places in Kohima district have damaged a total of 118 houses and 167 families have been affected since July 8 till Friday.
Kohima additional deputy commissioner Lithrongla Tongpi Rutsa on Friday asked the panchayat chairmen of wards and colonies to keep their panchayat halls ready or to identify any vacant place for use as relief camp in case of casualties from landslide and calamities in Kohima due to heavy rainfall.