SHILLONG, APR 4: Chairman of the Meghalaya State Health Advisory Board (MSHAB) and Nongpoh MLA, Mayral Born Syiem, has expressed concern over recurring natural calamities in the state and called for expedited compensation and increased fund allocation at the district level to strengthen disaster management.

Speaking to the media after submitting a memorandum to Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Lahkmen Rymbui on Monday, Syiem said he was deeply concerned about the impact of natural disasters across various parts of the state.

“As an MLA, I am concerned about natural calamities in different parts of the state,” he said, while also thanking the minister for a positive response. He added that he would continue to follow up on the matter to ensure affected families and farmers receive compensation without delay.

The legislator emphasised the need for advance planning, including pre-emptive allocation of funds at the district level ahead of the March–April period, when such calamities are most frequent.

“We will follow up this matter for speedy compensation as well as to park maximum funds at the district level before March–April, when natural calamities usually occur, so that disaster management authorities can be better prepared to respond,” he stated.

Highlighting the extent of the damage, Syiem noted that in Ri Bhoi district alone, 243 houses were affected during recent incidents.

He further urged authorities to strengthen the overall disaster response mechanism to minimise losses in future events.

The MLA was accompanied by headmen from 20 villages of the district during the submission of the memorandum.