Even as Manipur limps to normalcy, another potential event threatens to slow down relief efforts at best and completely derail them at worst. The silver lining? We are not talking about more riots, rather, we are talking about Cyclone Mocha, which, officials say, has intensified into a very severe cyclonic storm over the southeast and adjoining areas of the central Bay of Bengal.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed eight teams and 200 rescuers in West Bengal to deal with emergencies.
Now, the northeast may not be next to the Bay of Bengal, but every storm that develops in the Bay almost always impacts residents of the Northeast in some way or the other. Given that even now, there are many people still stuck in refugee/shelter camps in Manipur, especially in the capital and thousands have lost their homes and property, such a cyclone could derail efforts to get back to normal or worse, make the situation worse by undoing any progress made until now.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has alerted five of the eight northeastern states about the impending impact of cyclone Mocha.
According to IMD, the cyclone is expected to make landfall in the Myanmar-Bangladesh border zone on May 14, accompanied by heavy rainfall and strong winds.
However, sans the internet, it seems most Manipur residents are unaware of the impending cyclone and its effects. A relief worker EasMojo spoke to in Churachandpur said they were clueless about any potential impact of the cyclone as they had not been alerted by the administration and had no way to know more about it. The worker added that while people in some relief camps would be safe as they are made of concrete structures built to withstand heavy winds and rains (if needed), he was worried about those whose homes were made of thatched roofs. “I do not know much about the cyclone…you are telling me about it. So many homes have been damaged already, I hope the cyclone spares us and causes as little damage as possible. We are already dealing with a humanitarian crisis, we do not want an environmental crisis right now.
In April too, a storm that swept through the various parts of Manipur damaged several houses and other structures and power supply lines were also affected in many parts of the state. Thankfully, there were no human casualties.
Kumam Davidson, who has been working in relief operations in Imphal, said they had been informed about the cyclone by their teammates from Bangalore. “But I do not think the public is aware…precisely because people are very preoccupied in the current situation and without the internet, people are missing out (on alerts),” he said.
In terms of preparation, he conceded there is not much they can do. “The relief camps are temporary setups…some buildings are more secure…we are using market spaces, community halls, schools. With the ones that are less secure, there is very little we can do in a few days. We are securing food, and medicines in general not because of cyclones but otherwise also.”
Other people EastMojo spoke with also concurred with David, adding that they are trying in whatever ways possible to reinforce protection against winds and rains. From adding additional material to seal the roof as and where possible to try to arrange for more people to be indoors, people are doing all they can with the limited resources. But with the worst days ahead, locals are hoping the storm is mild and the damage is minimal.
Also Read | IMD issues warning as ‘Cyclone Mocha’ nears northeastern states