Villages Severely Affected by Floods in Chin State
20 October 2010: A sharp rise in rainfalls across Chin State in recent days has brought damages to paddy fields, flooding houses in Southern part and causing landslides that affect communication and transport.
In Aibur village of Thangtlang Township, more than 45 percent of paddy fields belonging to about 70 families has been flooded and all crops completely destroyed, with an estimated total acre of 44.20.
The amount of paddy rice destroyed by the flood in Aibur village alone is estimated to be 7145 tins (1 tin is equivalent to 16kg of cleaned rice).
Earlier this month in Paletwa, at least 300 people of about 90 households were left homeless after their houses were inundated or destroyed after a flood from the Kaladan River in Southern Chin State following an unusual downpour.
One villager was reportedly drowned in Paletwa Township, according to Khonumthung News. Pu Huat Kam, of Congthia village, died as he was suddenly swept away by flash floods while on his way home from his farm.
Last Saturday, Pu Tial Awi, of Congthia village, lost his life during an attempt to swim across the Bawinu river while returning home from a trip to Mizoram, India with his two friends. His body has not been recovered until today.
“Because of heavy rains for several days, roads have been severely affected and transport communication becomes very difficult for people, especially villagers, to travel. At the same, rice price has been going up recently and the situation here is getting worse,” a community leader in Thantlang told Chinland Guardian.
Chin people from townships including Paletwa, Kanpetlet, Mindat and Matupi are currently facing bamboo-and-rat-related food crisis while others in the Northern parts of Chin State have just recovered from the devastating phenomenon, locally called Mautam.
There has been growing concern among Chin subsistence farmers whose crops have been destroyed by the floods and bad weather this year just before the harvest.
Van Biak Thang
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