Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 27:
With drying up of Yongchak trees en masse which have been their main source of income for ages, the villagers of Utonglok in Senapati district have issued SOS to the authorities concerned for doing the needful.
According to information culled from the villagers, growing Yongchaks and selling the products has been the main source of income of the villagers for the last many years.
But for the last eight years, the Yongchak trees growing in Utonglok village has been drying up due to some disease.
After cutting down these dried up trees, the villages have planted some new plants.
But before growing up fully, the same have also dried up.
In the absence of an alternative source of income, the villagers have been going to the neighbouring as hired labourers in the paddy fields or going to jungles to gather fire woods for sustenance.
On the other hand, due to lack of adequate health care facilities, the problems being faced by the villages have been further compounded.
The only existing Primary Health Centre is manning by one nurse, one peon and attendant apart from the fact that there is no medicines and equipments in the health centre.
The building of the health centre is in pathetic condition, with dilapidated structure likely to tumble down at any moment and the walls crumbling at many parts.
The worried villagers who do not even dare to step inside the building for getting treatment have also drawn the attention of the authorities concerned to the problem of lack of medical care being faced by them.
The villagers informed that they have been going to the health centres of the neighbouring villages for medical treatment including emergency cases.