Flash floods hit six districts in Arunachal; one dead, four missing

A person was killed, four others reported missing, and six districts were cut off after heavy rainfall triggered flash floods and landslides in Arunachal Pradesh, officials in the State’s Keyi Panyor district said on Wednesday.

The flash floods followed a long burst of heavy rainfall during the intervening night of June 23 and 24, affecting areas in and around the public sector NEEPCO (North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited) project site in the district’s Yazali Circle. About 50 houses in the area were damaged.

Keyi Panyor’s Superintendent of Police Angad Mehta said the body of 35-year-old Nirmala Gupta, a teacher at NEEPCO’s Vivekananda Kendriya Vidyalaya, was recovered after hours of search. “The rescue operation with inflatable crafts will continue on Thursday, ” he told The Hindu, adding that the Indian Air Force carried out sorties to assess the damage and locate survivors.

Earlier, a statement issued by the district police said the “monsoon-related disruptions” cut off large parts of the district and five others — Kamle, Kra Daadi, Kurung Kumey, Lower Subansiri and Upper Subansiri.

Key bridge damaged

While major landslides have been reported from several stretches on key highways, a strategic bridge connecting two other districts, East Kameng and Pakke Kessang, was damaged. “Personnel of the Border Roads Organisation and the Highway Department have been engaged to expedite restoration work,” Mr. Mehta said.

He also said the district police and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel rescued a person identified as Bishnu Sinha from the Yazali reservoir and a Geological Survey of India scientist from an affected highway stretch.

Personnel of the SDRF and National Disaster Response Force, police, and local volunteers launched an extensive operation to find the five missing persons, including a 13-year-old.

Expressing concern over the flash floods in Keyi Panyor district, Chief Minister Pema Khandu said officials across 28 districts had been told to be prepared for monsoon-related challenges.

“We cannot control nature, but disaster preparedness is a critical priority as Arunachal Pradesh receives heavy rainfall during the monsoon period,” he said, emphasising the importance of public cooperation during adverse weather conditions.

Downstream threat

The Assam government issued a high alert in the districts downstream of the areas hit by “extremely heavy rainfall and flash floods” in Arunachal Pradesh. According to information received from Guwahati’s Regional Meteorological Centre and the Meteorological Centre in Itanagar, Keyi Panyor district recorded 72.8 mm of rainfall, mostly between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. on Wednesday.

“In view of the heavy rainfall in the upper catchments and the increased river flows, a substantial rise in water levels and flow velocity in the Brahmaputra and its tributaries is anticipated in downstream areas of Assam,” an Assam government statement read, issuing a warning specifically for Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Biswanath and Sonitpur districts.

“The situation is being monitored at the highest level in the State. District administrations and line departments in districts likely to be affected have been asked to maintain close vigilance and take timely preventive and response measures,” Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

He said citizens in the high-risk districts had been advised not to venture into inundated areas and to avoid travelling by country boats and other small vessels across the Brahmaputra and other rivers during this period, as river currents were expected to increase considerably.

Other parts of Assam have also begun to feel the impact of heavy rainfall.

An update from the Assam State Disaster Management Authority said floods affected 102 villages across seven districts, damaging standing crops on 2,647.343 hectares of land. Relief distribution centres had been opened for more than 5,600 affected people, 184 of whom moved into nine relief camps.

The affected districts include western Assam’s Bajali and Nalbari, and southern Assam’s Cachar.

Monsoon showers have disrupted normal life in parts of Sikkim too. Officials in the Himalayan State said heavy overnight rainfall triggered multiple landslides in West Sikkim district, cutting off the district headquarters, Gyalshing.