I.T. Road-The present hardship and its consequences

By: Thanggoulal Khongsai 
What could be more astonishing to have been able to spend very precious time with your loving daddy on Father’s day? The answer to this is something that may differ from person to person depending on the relationship with their father or the surrounding situation that can manipulate our attention. This year father’s day was the day where Mother Nature invade I.T Road in such a horrific condition posing alarming and panic in the region of the people living with the most pathetic and neglected condition-like in the state. 
Father’s Day incident: – On Landslide 
Alarmed by the landslide reportedly caused around 7:00-8:00 am Sunday morning at the heart of T.Waichong that wash-off the Hotel belonging to a widow woman on that fateful hour was such that the local villagers along with neighboring villages collectively took part with the help of two JCBs to clear debris. Such was never expected on the day where women and children would celebrate their husband’s day with big surprise. However, the surprise being more damaging in the village caused by the landslide, this year father’s day was a day to remind authority in power to rethink and reconsider the way they have perceived the region of I.T Road.
Meanwhile, there were also two major landslides Between Banglabung and Joupi the night before T.Waichong landslide incident happened. One of occurrence i.e between Gelnal and Joupi was so severe that it cut-off the main highway with the rest of the regions. It is at this critical juncture that even two wheelers motors are not possible to pass through adding it more burdens to villagers from Joupi-Tamei. I have received a report that many are running out of essential commodities such as Oil, Onion etc as there is no means of transport to reach their villages. Fortunately, some of those from neighboring villagers came all the way from their village by foot just to buy their essential needs at Gelnal or T.Waichong. It is for this reason that the people in the region are in need of Govt attention to deliver their parts as most of the people are handicap-like situation. Any further delayed to look into the plight of the people in the region may necessary be deem considered unconstitutional. We are hoping for the people’s Govt to act swiftly and restore normal activities within a day’s delayed.
 The other landslide that occurred between Banglabung and Gelnal may be less severed as compared to the other mentioned. However, the quantum of damages it caused in the region is undeniably equivalent to that of the severe one. As speculated by some of the local elders , there is a possible threat that another landslide may occurred again if incessant rain follows. This pose serious insecurities to some of the locals whose main livelihood will not be spared by the Mother Nature as many are already a victims of recent landslide and flood as their paddy fields and cultivable lands were lost completely. Thankfully,JMDC managed to clear this landslide yesterday.
On Flood:
As always in the limelight, the Irang River of I.T Road has once again faded the face of many people in the region. The incessant rain have  not only caused landslide and damage land and paddy fields located far from the Irang river bank, it also wash away some of the paddy fields located at its bank. It was on the 20th Feb, Monday that I went to witness the major paddy fields by my own that were washed away by the river; to my surprised the damaged it caused was beyond my expectation. Spoken to some of the owners whose paddy fields were completely devastated or partially, many of them are no longer hoping to receive Govt attention as their suffering from road to electricity, PHC to education etc have been denied to them for many years. The plight of these farmers whose sole livelihood are erase by natural calamities, there can none other than people’s govt to come for rescued to restore their normal livelihood.
Besides the paddy fields being wash away, many of the electrical poles installed particularly on the paddy fields and river bank have already been fallen otherwise wash away. As per my own witnesses, I have found eight posts lying on the ground. There will be more posts expected to be washed away by the river. Such was the invasion of I.T Road by the Irang river on that father’s day. Until this day, the entire region of I.T Road is dispel from electricity causing more panic in the region as the most in dire need of electricity are women who tends their infant child. Moreover, many of our daily activities have been stopped due to no power supply. This is not the first time I have stress the electrical condition of I.T road. It may also be pointed out that, major electrical poles are on the verge to fall which needs immediate attention for the replacement as such. 
As I have personally asses paddy fields that were washed away by the recent floods within Gelnal territory, close to 1800×70 Sq ft was completely washed away and an estimate of around 4 hectors were also submerged. These indications are from my personal on-spot witnesses where it didn’t include major parts of the fields in the areas. As per reports from the locals, major devastated and submerged paddy fields at Gelbung, Chalwa, Phoikon, Wakotphai etc have been no different from what had happened to Gelnal paddy fields. All these have created more insecurities to the people in the region as the quantity of rice production for their family consumption will adversely be reduced and affecting their economic and sustainable condition in the coming year. This may possibly caused famine in the region.
Nevertheless, some of the canals supplying water to many paddy fields are already obsolete as destroyed by the recent flood. In someway or the other, the plight of suffering casued by the flood are all the same. As such fields that were not washed away by the rivers are still facing canal problems. This canals are not only block by the pebbles and stone carried by the flood, but also by the landslide caused at different locations. For instance, the landslide at Joupi totally blocked the canal which supplies water to more than 13 paddy fields. Similarly, major paddy fields whose main sources of water is taken from the Irang river are already been blocked. Many of them are so severe that no human labor will be able to open it anymore. This is the present state of farmers in the area whose main livelihood solely depends on the paddy fields. 
JMDC:- The sole responder:
In every natural calamities occurred in the region, Joint Monitoring and Development Committee, I.T Road could not set aside its eyes from such as govt immediate intervention has never been witness over the past many years. This compels JMDC and CSOs to response every calamities within our own limitation to ease the public activities and suffering. 
However, despite the efforts taken up multiple times by JMDC and CSOs in the areas in every critical incident, govt have been seemingly ignoring efforts and their responsibility thereby putting more financial and labour burden to JMDC and CSOs of the area. Govt should established cordial relations with the public in the area and help to address their concern.
It is therefore a serious matter that Govt including concern three MLAs of the region should acknowledged the plight of the area posed by recent incessant rain and restored their normal lives and activities without further delayed. As gleaned, many life have been under severe threat and mental trauma due to lack of Govt concern and intervention. Further negligence of the area by the authorities may led misunderstanding to public and therefore, taking stock of the condition, it is a time for the govt to find amicable solution to the problem of I.T Road at least in the interest of voice of the voiceless citizen of I.T Road.
(The writer is an Info & Publicity Secy, JMDC I.T. Road. Views express are personal. Can be reached at [email protected])