Nagaland is fortunate to have been spared of nature’s fury, at least till now. Natural calamities hit the hardest during monsoon season in this part of the world but we are fortunate that no untoward incident has been reported till now in Nagaland.
We often hear of the news of lives lost and properties damaged in natural calamities like tsunamis and cyclones in other parts of the world. Closer to home, even in the northeast India region, there are reports of thousands of people being displaced and properties worth crores of rupees being damaged, as well as lives being lost in the wake of the current monsoon season.
Almost all of the states in the northeast have been hit by the fury of the monsoon, save for Nagaland. In Assam state alone, at least 73 lives have been lost till date in the flood and landslides, while at least 43 lakhs have been displaced or affected. In Assam, 33 of its 35 districts have been affected by the inundation.
Assam has been reeling under devastating floods for the past one week. It is hoped that it does not get any worse than it is already because, apart from the problems face by the people there, if the situation gets any worse than it already is, it is feared that other neighbouring states like Nagaland would also be affected.
If the rail tracks and highways are damaged, or rendered temporarily unusable, the impact will be felt in Nagaland as well.
Now, given the prevailing situation in Assam and elsewhere, it is hoped that the authorities in Nagaland are well prepared to face any eventuality. It is close to amazing that not a single report of a landslide has been reported in Mokokchung as of date, which otherwise is usually a norm during this time of year.
Apart from remaining prepared for any eventuality, there is not much that can be done to stop nature’s fury. In a hilly place like Mokokchung, save for the foothill areas like Tuli, floods are uncommon but landslides are a regular feature during monsoon season.
We may have been spared the wrath till now but we do not know what is in store for us in the remaining days of the monsoon season. No, there is no reason to panic but every household must adopt certain precautionary measures like stocking sufficient household supplies so as to avoid last minute panic buying in case of an emergency.
We are not expecting some apocalyptic calamity but the inconvenience caused by a major landslide blocking the highways is enough to cause us tension.
At the same time, the authorities should be prepared and remain on alert until the season comes to pass. Just because there are no reports of monsoon related calamity does not mean that we should remain unprepared.