Over 1.65 lakh affected, 35,384 houses damaged as devastating flood sweeps Manipur

Over 1.65 lakh people have been affected by the devastating floods in Manipur over the past four days, according to official sources. The flood, triggered by torrential rainfall and overflowing rivers, has caused significant damage across several districts of the state, particularly Imphal East.

As per the latest figures, at least 1,65,936 people have been impacted by flash floods resulting from embankment breaches and the swelling of the Imphal, Kongba and Nambul rivers. A total of 35,384 houses have also been damaged till Thursday.

Although the situation has improved with time and water levels in the rivers are receding as a result of a decline in the rainfall, the disaster has already left a trail of destruction, claiming the life of one. Seventy-four animals have also perished and four people sustained injuries.

A total of 706 localities have been inundated, with Imphal East being the worst affected. The authorities, along with help from the locals, have managed to evacuate 4,147 people. 82 relief camps have been set up to provide shelter and aid to the flood-hit population.

Landslides have also been reported from at least 160 areas, affecting nearly 162 hectares of agricultural land.

Meanwhile, the Assam Rifles and Indian Army have continued their relief and rescue operations for the fourth consecutive day under Operation Jalrahat-II, rescuing stranded civilians from areas like Soibam Leikai, Porompat, and Wangkhei in Imphal East.

“There was heavy rainfall in a single day — over 120 mm in the Kangpokpi catchment area alone. Normally, if there is continuous rainfall of about 45 mm per day in the catchment areas for three days, it results in flooding in the valley. This time, it happened all in one day, overwhelming the natural drainage system,” said Manipur Chief Secretary PK Singh to India Today.

He highlighted the geography of the valley, where all rivers converge and drain through a single outlet to the Manipur River, making the region highly vulnerable to flooding. However, Singh noted that precautionary measures had been taken in advance, including monitoring river levels, reinforcing weak embankments and stocking emergency materials.

"Rainfall is unpredictable and this is a pattern seen across the Northeast. We had alerted people in advance and are prepared to manage any epidemic that might follow,” he added.

Singh stressed the need for a long-term strategy to prevent such disasters from becoming an annual occurrence that “This cannot happen year after year. We are actively considering sustainable, long-term flood mitigation solutions.”