Landslide blocks NH2 disrupting traffic to and from Manipur

Manipur's road-link with the rest of the country was severely disrupted on Sunday as a landslide blocked National Highway 2 near the Nagaland capital Kohima.

"All available personnel and machinery are being used to remove the debris from the road," an official told IANS over phone from Kohima.

NH 2 and NH 37 are the two main road links between the state and the rest of the country.

However, it is feared that there may be fresh landlsides as heavy downpour continued to lash most of the northeastern states.

Many parts of Assam were reeling under water and thousands of affected villagers were taking shelter in evacuation centres put up by the state government.

In Manipur, a number of villages, paddy fields and public facilities in Chadong and Riha in Chandel and Ukhrul districts, respectively, were under water. Villagers said the overfull Mapithel dam was causing the inundation.

Some tribal villagers said: "Churches and schools are inundated and Chadong village is completely under water. Agriculture is ruined for now...."

However, government sources told IANS that the villagers have been paid Rs 15 lakh per family as compensation in the Chadong village. Besides, they have been given an alternative site for setting up a new village, the sources claimed.

Some villages and paddy fields in Imphal east district remained flooded as the breached river banks had yet not been repaired.

The Leilon-Leimakhong road in Sadar Hills sub-division of the Senapati district had suffered a number of damaged culverts with the result that vehicles cannot ply on it.

Since July 1, more than 30 villages in the sub-division have been affected by floods. The villagers were facing shortage of basic necessities and medicines.

--IANS

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