Manipur flood situation worsens; 70-year-old man swept away by gushing water

The flood situation in Manipur worsened on Monday with gushing waters from the breached river embankments inundating more inhabited areas and huge tracts of agricultural land in the valley districts of Imphal East and Thoubal.
Torrential rains in the last couple of days have caused major flooding in the Imphal valley.
The breach of embankments of Iril River in Imphal East and Wangjing River in Thoubal district at some places in the wee hours of Monday, worsened the situation in the two districts.
The Iril River bank was breached at Kshetri Awang Leikai in Imphal East district around 2.20 am, inundating hundreds of houses in the southern part of the district.
The floodwaters affected Thambalkhong, Sabal Leikai, and parts of Kongpal, forcing thousands of flood affected people to take shelter at relief camps opened at safer places.
Huge tracts of agricultural land were also inundated.
With the breached river bank yet to be repaired, more areas in the low lying areas of the district are likely to be affected.
Meanwhile, a 70-year-old man identified as Md Najir Ali of Kshetri Awang Leikai has been missing after he was swept away by the flood waters from breached river embankment around 3.30 pm on Monday.
The Manipur Fire Service rescue team swung into action to trace the missing man who is feared drowned.
Normal power supply in several parts of the district was also disturbed as the power station complex has been partially inundated.
Consumers in these localities will face power outage until water levels recede and restoration work can be safely carried out, Manipur State Power Distribution Company Limited said in a notification.
The company, however, advised the people to keep away from submerged poles, lines, and transformers and not to attempt to handle electrical equipment. The fire service personnel were also pressed to evacuate stranded residents to safer places. Earlier on Sunday, the northern part of this district had already experienced severe flash flooding owing to heavy downpours in the adjoining hill areas in the last few days.
Over a thousand families under Lamlai Assembly constituency of the district were forced to flee as swollen tributaries of the Iril River caused water-logging.
With more areas inundated, relief camps opened at safer places at Yourabung, Seijang, and Nongada were now overcrowded on Monday, with families crammed into makeshift shelters.
The flood situation in Thoubal district also worsened further with several more areas in Yairipok, Phouden and Wangkhem having been submerged by the flood water.
Amid the worsening situation, Wangjing River, a major river that passes through the district headquarters, spilled over today and swamped several localities, farms, and even relief camps. Relief and rescue measures were also bmobilized, while affected families have been shifted to safer places.
Authorities are closely monitoring the situation as rainfall continues in the region, officials said.
On the other hand, the IMD has forecasted moderate to heavy rainfall across Manipur for the next two days. In view of the forecast, district authorities across the state have also issued separate public advisories “to exercise extreme caution and stay alert for all possible breaches of the river banks and overflow of water to surrounding areas”.
The authorities advised the people “to avoid driving or walking through flowing water, as it can be risky” and not try to swim or cross a flooded river or stream or any flowing water body. The Manipur government also ordered closure of all educational institutions across the state in view of the prevailing weather conditions in the state on September 16.
This is the second time that Manipur faced severe flooding this year after the devastating floods in June that affected over 1,65,943 people and damaged 35,429 houses across 708 localities, besides claiming four lives.