Mawkyrwat/NONGSTOIN/JOWAI/TURA: A storm accompanied by heavy rain caused severe damage in parts of South West Khasi Hills and West Khasi Hills districts since Sunday night while also affecting West Jaintia Hills.
Block Development Officer (BDO) of Mawkyrwat Block, FB Basan informed on Monday that landslides hit 22 households in Mawkyrwat Block while the storm blew away the roofs of some houses as the water level of rivers and streams continued to rise.
The BDO said that the incidents took place on Sunday night and Monday morning.
The worst affected is Manad village, where mostly landslides affected 12 houses. The other houses were affected in Mawbidong, Mawkhyrwang, Nongtynniaw, Lummawbah, Wahsiej and Jerlang villages.
Basan said the damage has been assessed and report sent to the deputy commissioner’s office for relief through the Disaster Management.
He also said that since there was no major damage, immediate relief like essential items is not needed.
West Khasi Hills
A massive storm left many houses damaged in the district, particularly affecting two villages in Mawshynrut Block, three villages in Mawthadraishan Block and some villages in Nongstoin Block.
The storm and rain damaged the farm of Veterinary department in Mawiaban locality while uprooting trees and brought down electric cables in Siejlieh.
The Block Development Officer of Mawthadraishan C&RD Block said that three houses were damaged by the storm in Tiehnongbah, Wahliewlong and Mawkynbat.
Lawrapha village was also affected where two houses and an SSA school were damaged.
In Mawshynrut C&RD Block, two villages were affected. While a house was totally damaged in Malang Joipur another five were partially damaged in Porkrong.
In Nongstoin C&RD Block, eight villages, including Nongkaniang, Siejlieh, Dilingiem and Nongkhlaw, were affected.
The major damage was in Siejlieh where uprooted trees fell on houses, but no casualties were reported.
Some villages in Nongstoin were still living in the dark as the MeECL was trying to repair the electric wires brought down by the rain and storm.
Vehicle damaged
A vehicle was damaged when the perimeter wall of the Cemetery of the Church of God in Jowai’s Khliehiongriang locality collapsed on it during heavy rain.
The incident took place at around 7.30 pm on Monday.
The heavy downpour also disrupted power supply in West Jaintia Hills district since Sunday night.
Relief camps set up in Garo Hills
After a night of torrential rains caused by a sudden cloudburst in the northern plains of West Garo Hills district on Sunday, there has been some respite with a dry spell on Monday even as 1426 people have been put up in 11 relief camps set up by the administration.
“Inmates in the relief camps are being provided with one week of food ration. Almost all the homes in the flooded areas have been damaged with heavy slush and mud and people are unable to return home immediately,” informed West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Ram Singh on Monday.
He also said that people commuting to Tikrikilla region will have to travel the longer distance via Bajengdoba since the Agia-Medipara-Phulbari-Tikrikilla state highway remains cut off after portions of the road got washed away during the sudden flooding.
The deputy commissioner also said that a sizeable portion of water supply projects and roads have been badly damaged by the storm.
Standing crops, particularly paddy, have also been damaged in several rice growing areas of Phulbari region, particularly Bhaitbari, Patjarlata, Moulakandi and adjoining region.
