Our Bureau
BAJENGDOBA/ SHILLONG/ NEW DELHI: The waters have receded and all that one can see as far as possible with his naked eyes is the trail of destruction left behind by the worst floods in the history of Garo Hills.
A large tree uprooted from the hills above and washed down by the surging flood waters now lie in solitary stillness surrounded by paddy crops covered in silt near Mendel in Bajengdoba which bore the brunt of nature’s fury during the early morning hours of September 22.
On Tuesday, a week after the destruction caused by floods and landslides, people are still trying to come to terms with the immense loss to life and property.
A family at Mendal is engaged in removing layer after layer of mud and slush from what was once their dwelling home. There is no age bar in the road to recovery and everyone chips in with the hard labour including young children and the aged.
Some distance away a sports utility vehicle (Tata Safari) is towed out of a pond completely damaged after getting submerged in the flood waters which dragged the heavy vehicle out of the road.
The once beautiful and colorful boarding school of Riverside Academy at Chitchotchang lies abandoned, its walls literally washed away by the strong river currents leaving the institute bare.
Despite the immense sorrow witnessed by the people of North Garo Hills, yet its inhabitants have braved the storm.
In the face of tragedy the citizens have come together to lend a helping hand.
Several dozen young boys from Bajengdoba gave a helping hand to restoration works.
On Tuesday morning the young boys and men began erecting electrical poles and joining power lines together with technical teams to get power restored in the area which last witnessed having electricity over nine days ago.
The importance of education could be best gauged from seeing children drying out their text and note books damaged by the flood waters in the hot morning sun. The fury of nature couldn’t have come at a worst time. Annual exams are less than two months away.
Though water has receded but eight persons are still reported missing in Garo Hills.
Relief camps are being closed in South Garo Hills District while they are still open in other areas.
NH-51 from Bajengdoba to Tura is cleared while Baghmara- Maheskhola road is still closed.
Power supply has been restored in certain areas and restoration work is going on in the other affected areas.
There is no report of any shortage of medicines or outbreak of any epidemic from the affected places.
Special consideration for flood-affected schools: MBOSE
The Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBOSE) while expressing solidarity with the victims of the recent floods in Garo Hills and West Khasi Hills has also conveyed its heartfelt condolence to the bereaved families.
The Board has also decided to give special consideration to schools and colleges that are not in a position to conduct the SSLC/ HSSLC Selection Test and the Class IX Internal Promotion Examination and has requested all such schools and colleges to inform the board well before time.
The Board has also informed that the last date for the submission of SSLC/ HSSLC Examination Application forms has been extended for another 10 days after the last date which was already declared earlier.
Pala contributes Rs 25 lakh for Garo Hills
Shillong MP and Member Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law & Justice etc., Vincent H. Pala, contributed an amount of Rs.25 lakh for rehabilitation and reconstruction works for flood and landslides affected areas in the three districts of Meghalaya at the disposal of the concerned Deputy Commissioner.
A sum of Rs.10 lakh each for North Garo Hills and South West Garo Hills districts and Rs.5 lakh was contributed for South Garo Hills District.
Pala also directed the East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner to release the amount at the earliest to the Deputy Commissioners concerned and also asked him to keep him (Pala) updated on the sanction and progress of the works implementation.