Silchar: Inundated Mahishabeel, locals living on road for 22 days; “No pump, no relief, we are forgotten,” local

Today morning, the locals residing in the stretch between Bethukandi and Berenga Part III Khalarpar, were spotted celebrating a rather subdued Eid in the middle of the road. They have been living on the road in makeshift houses for 22 days straight. June 18, they had to leave their houses as river water started flooding into the residential areas.

“In 2004, we had stayed on the roads for 26 days. Since then, this is the highest we are living on the roads,” informed a locals. “Each makeshift room that you see have two families sleeping in them. During the day, we are mostly outside, but at night, we sleep in,” she added.

Though they have been suffering since long, Bethukandi became the lead news this time during the unprecedented deluge. A part of the embankment was cut by the locals for the water logged in Mahishabeel to recede during the floods in May. However, as the water level of the river rose in June, river water started draining into the beel and then inundating the entire town through the same path.

“The part that has been cut was our road to go to the village. Now we don’t have a way. In fact, we are pretty much landlocked here. I urge the administration to pay some attention towards our plight,” adds a man living in the area.

The Water Resources Department, Irrigation Department and Flood Control Department under the supervision of the Deputy Commissioner of Cachar herself, have filled in the cut portion in war-footing. Geo bags have been engineered in to seal the zone and ensure river water is not flooding inwards again.

“But what about the people in the Mahishabeel area?” questions a local. “We have seen in the news that Honourable Chief Minister has arranged to send pumps to Cachar district in order to drain the water-logged areas. Why aren’t those pump operational in the Mahishabeel area. Should we live the whole summer on the roads?. No pumps, no relief either. Once the Panchayat has provided us relief of 1kg rice, 500 gms Dal, 150ml oil and 100gms Salt. How many days can one live on those. Because the road has been cut, we are not able to go the Bazar either,” says a lady who also suffered during the 2004 floods.

The locals said there was no special feast or feeling of the auspicious Eid-Al-Adha. “We just want to go back to our homes. This has been very exhausting. We need to go a check the extent of damage caused by the floods. This has been a catastrophe for us,” concludes another inmate in the makeshift camps.