With the flood situation continuing to be grim, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday reviewed the worst-hit South Garo Hills district, where road communication through National Highway–62 remains completely cut off for the past four days with over 40,000 people affected.
South Garo Hills, along the India-Bangladesh border, has witnessed multiple landslides and many areas like Maheskola and Siju remain without any road link.
Indian Air Force on Tuesday late afternoon dropped off essential food and relief materials for the stranded villagers in Maheskola village. A total of eight people have lost their lives in landslides at Bolsalgre, Siju and Rongsa Awe, of which one is a minor aged 4 years and two persons are still missing from Rongsa Awe.
At least six bridges, including suspension and wooden bridges, have been washed away in the district with mobile and electricity connections disrupted. Electricity lines have been disrupted in Baghmara town, Karukol, Rongsa Awe, Siju, Rongara, Gasuapara and Chokpot, among other villages.
A total of 30 villages, including Siju, Emangre, Jadi, Nongalbibra, Karukol, Maheskola, Kalu, Kanai, Bonbera, Rongru Asim, have been cut off from the district headquarters of Baghmara. The chief minister has directed officials that the restoration of roads and electricity should continue. Officials have said that in the next 2-3 days, the road connectivity along NH-62 will be restored for light motor vehicles and at least 20-25 days would be required for roads to be restored for heavy vehicular movement.
Earlier in the day, the chief minister visited the affected areas under Dalu block in West Garo Hills and reviewed the situation with officials of the district. In Dalu area, at least 5 wooden bridges have been damaged disrupting communication in several villages, and soil erosion affected villages along the Balka River.
Meanwhile, leader of the Opposition in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly and the All India Trinamool (AITC) leader, Dr Mukul Sangma along with other prominent leaders of Garo Hills visited South Garo Hills on Tuesday to take stock of the areas affected by flood and rain.
Meghalaya Trinamool Congress MLA Mahendraganj, Dikkanchi D Shira, along with MPTCC Joint Secretary Manik Das and TMC Mahendraganj Youth leader Thonong D Shira also visited flood-affected areas of Ulubari and Kalaigaon.
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