Nagaland, which has been reeling under floods for a while, can breathe a sigh of relief. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday spoke to Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio to assure all possible support with the rescue and relief operations.
“We stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Nagaland and pray for everyone’s well-being,” the PM tweeted. Thanking Modi, Rio said, “It means a lot for the people of Nagaland. I am confident that with the support of Government of India, we will overcome the challenging situation caused due to heavy rains and landslides.”
In a press statement, the Nagaland government said that it requires immediate funds, an estimated Rs 800 crore, for the restoration work. Twelve people have been killed, over 5,000 houses damaged and 600-odd people are in the relief camps.
In a statement, the government said that over 2.6 lakh people — roughly 13 per cent of its total population are affected in 532 villages. Over 5,000 acres of agricultural land has been affected.
Johny Ruangmei, officer on special duty, Nagaland state disaster management authority, said, “People urgently need rice and other basic food items… we will be grateful if engineering agencies come to our state and help us in rebuilding the affected roads with better technology.”