Amid worsening flood conditions in Umpher village, Byrnihat, National People’s Party MLA from Jirang, Sosthenes Sohtun, has underscored the urgent need for inter-state cooperation to tackle the recurring crisis. After inspecting flood-hit areas alongside Ri Bhoi Deputy Commissioner Abhilash Baranwal and officials from the National Highways Authority of India and the Public Works Department, Sohtun emphasized that a permanent solution must include expanding drainage infrastructure beyond Meghalaya’s borders.
“To address the issue of cleaning the stream within Assam’s jurisdiction, I will speak with Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma and request his intervention with his Assam counterpart,” Sohtun told media persons. “This collaboration is essential to finding a permanent solution to the recurring flash floods,” he added.
During the inspection, officials were accompanied by teachers from St. Jude Secondary School and local village leaders, who detailed the ongoing damage caused by floods and called for immediate widening of local drains. The school, along with several households, has been significantly affected by waterlogging that has become a seasonal hardship.
In response, both MLA Sohtun and DC Baranwal assured residents that mitigation work would begin soon to reduce the impact of future downpours. They reiterated their commitment to ensuring that Umpher’s residents no longer suffer recurring losses during the monsoon season and stressed the importance of a coordinated drainage plan that includes Assam, where drainage inadequacies also contribute to flooding in border villages.
