Trucks carrying supplies taking up to three days to reach Kiphire district from Dimapur; normally it’s about a 15-hour journey
Dimapur, Nagaland: Floods and landslides caused by heavy rains in the past few weeks continue to make life miserable for the people of Nagaland. In the remote Kiphire district, poor road conditions have hampered relief efforts undertaken by the state government.
Kiphire has been one of the worst affected districts of the state. In the absence of proper road connectivity, the authorities concerned have had to construct a makeshift diversion for the transportation of relief materials.
Usually it takes about 15-16 hours to reach Kiphire from Dimapur. However, trucks carrying relief materials are taking anywhere between two and three days to reach the district headquarters. Personnel from the Indian Air Force have also been involved in distribution of relief materials from time to time.
Talking to EastMojo, Mohammad Ali Shihab, DC, Kiphire, said that efforts to improve the road conditions continue in the district. “However, the situation may worsen if rains continue through the month of September and October as well,” he adds.
The DC, however, raised apprehension that the stock of relief materials in the district may last only for the next few weeks.
On August 31, the district got some relief when seven trucks carrying rice reached the remote district and the local administration started distributing them among the residents. In the district headquarters, all the 11 wards have already been covered and efforts are on to reach out to all the residents in the sub-divisions.
The development is timely considering the Sangtams, the largest of the three tribes inhabiting Kiphire, are celebrating a major festival of the community called Mongmong. The festival is celebrated for six days in the first week of September every year.
