Editor,

While visiting Rami (Koyu) in Lower Siang district, which entailed 8-9 hours of foot march from Zirdo village in Leparada district, as part of discharging the assigned duty, it was truly flabbergasting to witness the devastation left by the torrential rainfall triggered by a cloudburst, which obliterated the road connectivity between Loglu and Rami and caused further devastation up to Zirdo village. Consequently, the villages under Koyu circle have been isolated.

Prior to this havoc wrought by the inclement weather, these two roads alone, ie, Dari-Zirdo and -Kora, acted as the only means of to and fro communication, connecting Koyu circle with the rest of the world. They are now in a precarious state following the unprecedented devastation. Without any further disruption, and if the ongoing restoration works continue uninterrupted, not fewer than 5-6 months will be required to restore road communication to the affected areas.

What has worsened the situation in this region is the acute shortage of food and other daily domestic necessities. There is a genuine apprehension as to what would happen if a villager were to suffer a medical emergency. How would they access timely medical treatment when the nearest motorable road itself is an arduous 8-9 hours away on foot?

The need of the hour is to evacuate the elderly villagers, children, and other vulnerable persons from the affected areas to the vicinity of motorable roads until the restoration of road communication is completed. Since the monsoon is at its peak and the India Meteorological Department continues to issue advisories warning of heavy rainfall, such evacuation would be a prudent and meticulous preventive measure to avert any possible casualties in the region in the days to come.

The prevailing situation warrants immediate intervention and coordinated efforts by all the authorities concerned to mitigate the hardships being faced by the affected villagers and to prevent any further humanitarian crisis.

Pakchi Taipodia,

Likabali