TURA: The death toll in Meghalaya due to the devastating floods and landslides has risen to 39 with Garo Hills accounting for the highest casualty figures as twenty-five bodies have been retrieved till Wednesday with many more remaining missing.
In the West Garo Hills plain belt region of Phulbari-Chibinang-Tikrikilla, rescue teams have retrieved the bodies of five victims from Bangalkata area of Chibinang on Wednesday afternoon. The deceased included four children and a mother. One other person remains missing.
In East Garo Hills two bodies have been retrieved from Bansamgre and Rongjeng. A 17-year-old boy from Tura who was studying at Rombagre was washed away by the strong currents of the Simsang river when he went to have a bath by the riverside late Sunday afternoon. His body was recovered downstream at Bansamgre.
At Rongjeng a fifteen-year-old girl was crushed to death when an entire hillock came down on her house. Her elder brother survived the ordeal with grievous injuries.
The devastation and death has been felt most in North Garo Hills District where ten bodies have been found while another ten remain missing.
In North Garo Hills’ Bajengdoba region, the body of a teacher and two young children who got washed away by the raging waters were retrieved on Tuesday.
Rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have begun operations at Mendaldoba village of Kharkutta to retrieve the bodies of seven members of a family whose house has been completely covered with tons of mud after an entire hillock came crashing down early Monday morning.
Till the time of filing this report search teams have been scouting the Kharkutta-Dainadubi area to locate ten other people who have gone missing during the torrential rains.
In South West Garo Hills district eight bodies have been retrieved from the Ampati-Betasing region of the district.
In Banduraja village a pregnant mother and two young girls lost their lives in a landslide. In Bolchugre village two young boys (aged 9 and 7) along with a little girl (5) were killed in a landslide while a 22-year-old man died at Manuapara from a similar calamity. A 20-year-old girl from Shiragaon village was also washed away by flood waters from the same district.
However, the flood situation in the State, particularly in Garo Hills, appears to be falling with water level in most parts of Garo Hills receding.
A number of roads in the State are blocked due to landslides particularly those leading to Garo Hills including NH-51, AMPT road, Nongstoin-Rongjeng-Williamnagar-Tura road, Rongram-Phulbari road, etc According to official sources, water levels have receded in the worst-affected areas of Chibinang and Tikrikilla while the low lying areas of Rajabala, Chibinang, Selsella, Tikrikilla, Charbatapara and Pushkurnipra are still inundated.
“People from affected areas have been evacuated to safer places and the government has already requisitioned boats to evacuate people who are marooned in the flood,” an official source said.
The National Highway 51 connecting Tura to Assam continued to be blocked for heavy traffic although small vehicles are being allowed to ply since Wednesday.
The Tura-Williamnagar road has also been opened up for light traffic along with that of Rongjeng-Songsak-Mendipather informed district police chief Davis Nestell R Marak.
However, the national highway via Darugre remains blocked due to portions of the road continuing to remain underwater till late Tuesday night.
The road from Tura to Dadenggre is restored but from Dadenggre to Phulbari remains cut off as the Dadenggre bridge has been washed away.
Similarly, the Dadenggre to Damal Asim road is still cut off while in Phulbari region the Masangpani bridge and a sub way at Selsella has been washed away halting traffic flow.
Power has also returned to most parts of Garo Hills including Tura town on Tuesday night.
Meanwhile, the State Executive Committee under the Chairmanship of Chief Secretary P.B.O. Warjri reviewed the situation arising out of flash flood and landslides in the State particularly Garo Hills.
The district deputy commissioners have set up 85 camps which include 36 camps in South West Garo Hills, 15 in North Garo Hills, 26 in West Garo Hills, 4 in East Garo Hills and 5 in South West Khasi Hills where food and water for people taking shelter are being provided.
Assessment of availability of medical facilities to relief camps has been made. Adequate medicines and doctors/medical personnel are available to take care of the people in the camps. The CHCs/PHCs and medical personnel located near the camps are visiting the affected people and providing the medical support wherever needed, the officials added.
There has been extensive damage to the water supply infrastructure including rural water supply schemes of Ampati, Baghmara, Tura North, Resubelpara, Williamnagar and Nongpoh Divisions. Water supply to some of the towns was disrupted because of lack of power supply and with the restoration of power supply the water supply was resumed in Tura. The availability of food stock and fuel has been assessed as satisfactory. BSNL has taken up restoration of communication in Tura, Williamnagar, Resubelpara and Baghmara, the officials noted.
CM distressed at loss of lives, extent of damage
Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Wednesday expressed shock over the extent of damage the unprecedented floods and rains have caused to the hill state and apprehended that the human casualty might go up especially in North Garo Hills.
Relief and rescue teams could not reach some parts of such worst affected areas Sangma said and added that there could be more loss of lives and property in such cases.
When questioned if he had asked the Union Government for aid, Sangma said that right now the State is fully utilizing its available resources and combating the natural calamity.
Once, the worst is over there will be assessment of the damage and question of Central help will arise, he said.
The Chief Minister, accompanied by Home Minister Roshan Warjri, DGP P.J.P. Hanaman and other top officials will leave for the flood-affected areas of Garo Hills on Thursday.
Overall death toll in State
North Garo Hills: 10
Shillong: 8
S. West Garo Hills: 8
West Garo Hills: 7
East Garo Hills: 2
West Khasi Hills: 3
East Jaintia Hills: 1
Total: 39