Incessant rains coupled with landslides damaged 61 roads in Nagaland and cut off of many areas in the state, according to an official report on Thursday.
The state home department has tied up with the central ministry of home affairs for airlifting essential commodities to the cut off areas. However, the operation has been hampered by inclement weather. The department of food and civil supplies has readied the food grains for transport as and when the air lifting is feasible, the release said.
While relief and humanitarian works are in full swing, massive restoration works of the affected highways and districts roads are continuing all over the state. All available machineries and manpower along with volunteers are at work overtime in all affected areas, the release said.
The Assam Rifles has provided two JCBs and a bulldozer to assist in the restoration works. Trucks and excavators of the various government departments have all been pressed into service to mitigate and manage the unprecedented natural disaster in the state, triggered by incessant rains in the last few weeks.
The release said the state government is making all out efforts to send essential commodities, including petroleum products, to Kiphire and Pungro area which have been completely cut off by massive landslides. According to Kiphire district administration, the district has food-stocks to last for a couple of days and rationing has been imposed for both food and petroleum products.
The officers from the district administration of both Kiphire and Meluri have been camping at the spot where a large section of the road has sunk 8 kms from Meluri side. The administration with the help of volunteers have constructed temporary transit camps for facilitating manual carriage of essential commodities to the affected area from where trucks can transport the goods to Kiphire.
A few goods-laden trucks are already reported to be stationed at Meluri while oil tankers are on their way via Mao Gate towards Meluri. More essential commodities are expected to reach Meluri soon.
The Volunteers of Association of Off-Road Nagaland with specialised light and medium vehicles left Kohima on Thursday morning en route to Meluri to assist in the lifting of essential commodities and petroleum products.