Nemcha visits earth fissure sites

From Our Correspondent

KANGPOKPI | July 19

Social welfare minister Nemcha Kipgen accompanied by principal secretary of cooperation, economics and statistic, P. Vaiphei visited earth fissures affected places inn Kangpokpi today.

The heavy rainfall last night made the road connecting Haijang and Kangpokpi completely muddy and slippery and the absence of motorable bridge compelled the ministerial team to cross the Gundung river.

The deputy commissioner and superintendent of police of Kangpokpi went along with the ministerial team by hiring a Shaktiman from Kangpokpi district HQ for a joint inspection of the earth fissure at Haijang village.

The team found that the crack has widened and damaged five houses and one UJB School building of Sadar Hills Autonomous District Council, Kangpokpi. The School was badly damaged and more cracks may develop in other houses and other areas of the village if rainfall continues. Haijang village has 70 households with a total population of around 500.

The villagers of Haijang expressed their apprehension and suggested for an expert team to be deputed to the village for a spot assessment to ascertain the causes of the earth cracks.

The minister advised the district administration to put up the situation to the state government today itself with a request to depute an expert team of GSI on the spot.

The ministerial team also visited the earth crack that developed along Twilang road and found similar widening of the crack and considered impending danger of heavy landslide.

Nemcha said the government’s first priority is safety of the affected villagers while adding that concerned department will soon call an expert team to assess the situation and take necessary action.

Deputy commissioner T. Ranjit Sigh wrote to the principal secretary, relief and disaster management to to depute a team of experts from GSI, NER Dimapur to the sites for spot verification and taking necessary action.