Flood situation worsens in Manipur

The flood situation in Manipur worsened as the water level of major rivers increased due to incessant rain and many villages continued to reel under the floods.

Chief Minister N. Biren Singh announced on Saturday that relief material will be distributed to the victims. While the central government is yet to send a team to assess the flood situation, the state government had sent a proposal to have the floods declared a state calamity.

Director of the Zoological Garden of Manipur P.S. Haokip has notified that it will remain closed till further orders from Monday. While visitors find it difficult to come due to the surging flood waters, the animals are under threat.

The Oil Tanker Drivers' Union on Saturday distributed relief material to the flood affected people. Other voluntary organisations are also helping people who are staying in the relief camps.

Following a breach in the Kongba river vast areas in the Thongju assembly constituency have been inundated. The busy Singjamei-Kongba road has been flooded and no vehicle can pass through. Vast areas in Bishnupur district are also under water.

Fish farmers say that they have suffered heavy losses as their fish farms had been flooded and the fish washed away. Hundreds of thousands of farmers are suffering losses as their paddy fields have been flooded for weeks.

Chief Minister Biren said, "The government shall distribute seedlings free of cost to the farmers. They have suffered the losses since paddy crops had died due to flooding."

"The government plan is to distribute an improved variety of paddy seedling which can be harvested in three months," he added.

However officials told IANS that as the central government is not releasing immediate funds, there is not much progress in the government plan.

Meanwhile, several relief camp residents claimed that no minister or official has visited them and that no food or relief material were distributed. People residing in the relief camp at Hiyangthang Tarahei had appealed to the government to provide them with relief material.

Free medical camps were held in some flood affected villages to check the outbreak of water-borne diseases.

The weather forecast is that there will be more rain in the coming days in the northeastern region.

--IANS

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