TURA/ Mawkyrwat: A cyclonic storm late on Tuesday night lashed Garo Hills and South West Khasi Hills district causing extensive damage that saw houses collapse, roofs blown away, trees uprooted and power supply cut off.
Scores of villages across Garo Hills bore the brunt of the storm while in South West Khasi Hills Mawkyrwat and Ranikor C&RD blocks were the worst sufferers.
In the Garo Hills, the impact was felt mostly in South West and West Garo Hills districts while Chokpot area of South Garo Hills, Songsak in East Garo Hills and Bajengdoba-Resubelpara in North Garo Hills reported partial damage.
Vast areas of West and South West districts continue to be without electricity due to extensive damage caused to power lines by fallen trees.
The storm, which was accompanied by extremely strong winds, hail and lightning, began shortly after 1:30 in the morning when it crossed into South West and West Garo Hills areas.
“Over 3000 households have been affected by the storm that blew away roof tops and uprooted trees which fell on houses but fortunately no one was hurt,” said South West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Ram Kumar S while speaking to The Shillong Times from Ampati on Wednesday afternoon.
He informed that 27 villages under Betasing block, 14 under Rerapara block and 12 in Zikzak block were impacted the most.
The villages of Sulguri and Latrigre, Thakurambari and Garodoba along the Mankachar (Assam) border region experienced the most damage from the storm. Many schools in the village areas have also had their roof tops blown off.
The Ampati administration has announced general relief (rice, dal and salt) for three days to the affected villages, beginning Thursday.
In West Garo Hills district 140 villages comprising 700 houses have been damaged by the storm, according to West Garo Hills deputy commissioner Ram Singh. Three persons in different villages also sustained minor injuries due to roof collapse, it was reported.
The storm which began in Garo Hills from the Ampati-Betasing region passed through Tura, Rongram, Dadenggre, Tikrikilla and beyond and felt as far away as Chokpot in South Garo Hills, Songsak in East Garo Hills and Bajengdoba-Resubelpara in the north.
In Tura region, Danak Kongbe, Matchikol, Chitoktak, Tetengkol, Sunny Hills, Chandragre, Niram Ading had homes damaged by the storm. The town has been without electricity because most power lines have snapped due to fallen trees and branches.
There was widespread traffic jams in the town during the morning hours due to road blockades caused by uprooted trees.
In Dadenggre block area, some of the worst affected were the villages of Dokramgre, Adinggre where many houses were severely damaged, while in Gambegre block Dalamagre, Dinasagre and Dangsapara villages sustained damage.
In Rongram block, preliminary reports state that over a hundred homes have sustained damage, among which 19 have been fully damaged and another 8 severely.
The villages of Sasatgre, Bolbekgre, Makragre, Romba Adinggre, Waram Asim, Waram Songma, Tebronggre, Dipogre, Robagre, Lower Danakgre were among many under Rongram block that has faced destruction from the storm.
In Tikrikilla block Rengsinpara and Agaripara villages have been reported with damage while in Demdema block the village of Bangalpahar has had homes damaged in the storm.
Even distant Chokpot region of South Garo Hills have had as many as a hundred houses sustaining partial damage, while in Songsak block of East Garo Hills 15 villages sustained partial damage.
Houses damaged in SWKH
In the South West Khasi Hills district, the storm accompanied by heavy rain damaged 27 houses in Mawkyrwat C&RD Block and 146 houses in Ranikor C&RD Block and uprooted trees as well as electric posts.
The storm started at around 12 on Tuesday night and continued till 3 AM of Wednesday. The storm hit almost all the areas in the district but damaged houses only in some villages. However, no casualty was reported.
The Block Development Officer (BDO) of Mawkyrwat C&RD Block, R Kharbihkhiew, informed that 27 houses were reported damaged in Manad, Mawbidong, Domtynrong, Dewlieh, Mawkohphet, Wahsiej and Mawkhyrwang villages.
Meanwhile, the South West Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner, Isawanda Laloo, informed that after receiving reports about the incident she had asked the BDOs of Mawkyrwat and Ranikor Blocks to give an assessment of the damage and provide immediate relief to the affected.
Laloo informed that the villages in Ranikor Civil Sub Division affected by the storm include Munaisora, Songdongktieh, New Moilam, Khasiadop, Nayapara, Sodurkora, Koltapara, Koraikora, Bolabita, Largoa, Mawpyllun, Tilagoa, Rangasora, Mawpud, Dirang, Shnongkalong, Old Moilam and Nongktieh.
The DC also informed that most of the houses suffered partial damage.
