Aizawl/Agartala, Jul 10 (PTI): After heavy floods that were recently reported in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, two Northeast states of Mizoram and Tripura have also been affected by floods and landslides in the last few days.
Over 80 families moved to safer places in Mizoram
Over 80 families have been evacuated to safer locations after the Khawthlangtuipui river overflowed in Mizoram’s Lunglei district bordering Bangladesh following incessant rainfall over the past week, officials said on Friday.
Landslides, rockfalls and other rain-related incidents have also been reported at more than 29 locations across the state, though no casualty or loss of life has been reported so far, they said.
In Tlabung town of Lunglei district, located close to the Bangladesh border, 42 families were evacuated after their houses were fully or partially submerged due to the rising water level of the Khawthlangtuipui river, officials said.
Similarly, around 40 families have been evacuated to safer places from Tipperaghat village under Tlabung sub-division due to floods, they said.
Officials also said National Highway 54 has been blocked due to a massive landslide on the outskirts of Bualte village in Lunglei district, where several tourists have been stranded for the past four days. The landslide continues to cut off the southern districts of Lawngtlai and Siaha from the rest of the state.
The Aizawl-Thenzawl-Lunglei highway has also been blocked due to massive rockfall or landslides at Ngaizel on the southern outskirts of Aizawl, officials said.
Meanwhile, state Disaster Management and Rehabilitation (DM&R) Minister Lalnilawma urged residents to remain vigilant as continuous rainfall has triggered disasters at several locations across the state.
The minister inspected a landslide site near the Ngaizel filing station on Thursday and expressed concern over the difficulties faced by families.
He assured that financial assistance and other relief measures for disaster-affected people would be extended promptly and transparently in accordance with prescribed rules and legal provisions.
Three Tripura districts flooded; 11,000 people displaced
Heavy downpour for the past few days triggered floods in three Tripura districts, forcing around 11,000 people to seek refuge in relief camps, an official said on Friday.
Congress Birajit Sinha alleged that the water resource department failed to repair the sluice gates in time, which led to flash floods in several low-lying areas of Unakoti, Dhalai and Khowai districts.
However, no loss of life has been reported till now.
A State Disaster Management Authority official said that waters of the swollen Manun river have started receding, following a let-up in rains.
“As many as 6,068 people of Unakoti district have taken shelter in 35 relief camps. However, the flood situation improved on Friday with the river water receding,” said Sanat Kumar Das, the project director of the State Disaster Management Authority.
He said that in Dhalai and Khowai districts, 4,909 people hit by the deluge have taken shelter in relief camps. “Around 11,000 people were rendered homeless due to the flood triggered by heavy rainfall on Wednesday and Thursday. No death has been reported yet, but 4,027 houses have been damaged,” Das said.
Reacting to the MLA’s allegation, the official said that in Kailashahar subdivision, 19 sluice gates to control the waters of the river Manu could not be repaired in time due to a controversy over finalising a tender.
The only way to save Kailashahar is to immediately repair the sluice gates and the river embankments, he said. The Indian Meteorological Department has predicted heavy rainfall in multiple districts of the state.