Imphal: Flash floods washed away an orphanage in Manipur as unrelenting heavy rain continue to wreak havoc across the northeastern Indian state.
Mudslides have destroyed at least seven houses at Chakhumei, both located along NH-2 in Senapati district, bordering Nagaland.
Flash floods in the Barak riverbeds of the hilly district on August 26 forced many villagers to flee to safer places. There was no report of any human casualty.
The orphanage called Compassionate Children Ministry at Karong was hit on August 25. All 120 orphans are safe, although the flood ravaged everything in the its campus.
The floods washed away utensils, furniture, keyboard and sound system used at the chapel hall, livestock raised by the proprietor to fund the orphanage, books and notebooks used by the children, other personal belongings of the children.
Rushing flood water swept away the orphanage proprietor’s car and uprooted four the school building.
There is almost nothing left to salvage, reports e-pao.net
The children are now left without a home, food, spare cloths and other basic amenities. They are battling bad weather, water contamination and serious danger of illness .
Another mudslide covering a stretch of nearly 90 feet at Makhan Tabio, about 90 km north of Imphal along the same route, blocked the traffic, forcing many outgoing trucks to return.
Some Imphal-bound passenger buses and trucks were stranded near Mao gate, according to reports .
Many houses at Karong, a small hamlet on the bank of Barak river 65 km north of Imphal, were submerged due to sudden rise of water level and at least four houses of a colony in Senapati district headquarters, 60 km north of Imphal, were badly affected by flood waters, said sources .
“Now we are trying to take shelter at a junior school and a hostel in Karong area as flood waters washed away everything,” Robin Raomai, a functionary of Compassionate Children Ministry orphanage, told the Hindustan Times over phone.
Senapati district Deputy Commissioner Athem Muivah said the administration will provide 100 blankets, 20 rice bags and other essential relief materials as an immediate measure to the affected orphanage .
“We are also planning to distribute relief materials to the affected villagers, besides taking up other necessary steps,” Muivah added. Manipur has witnessed frequent flash floods after Cyclone Mora hit the northeastern Indian state in May.
Manipur has suffered losses of more than 2 billion rupees, according to the damage assessment done .
So far, 19 people have lost their lives and nearly 85,226 hectares of agriculture land has been affected.