Mizoram reports 5 deaths, 552 landslides
With over dead in the last few days, several Northeast states continue to reel under devastating floods with Mizoram and Assam facing the brunt on Tuesday.
Mizoram: Mizoram has reported five deaths in the current wave of landslides, house collapse and other calamities triggered by heavy rains in the last 10 days, the state’s Disaster Management and Rehabilitation department said on Tuesday.
Data shared by the department said that three people died in Champhai district and one each in Aizawl and Serchhip districts due to collapse of houses and walls caused by landslides and flash floods.
The state also reported 552 landslides at several places, while 152 houses have collapsed or have been damaged due to rain during the same period, it said.
One hundred and ninety-eight families have abandoned their houses due to landslides or fissures and 92 others evacuated their homes due to floods, it said.
Of the total 11 districts, east Mizoram’s Champhai district, which shares a border with Myanmar, faced the brunt of the current monsoon reporting three deaths, 209 landslides, 9 house damages and evacuation of 14 families, it said.
Serchhip district reported one fatality, 75 landslides, 27 house damages and 132 families abandoned their houses due to landslides, fissures and floods, the data said. Eighteen landslides were reported in Aizawl district, while 13 houses have collapsed or have been damaged and 17 others have been abandoned, it said.
Khawzawl district reported 75 landslides, Lunglei district (60) and south Mizoram’s Siaha district reported 53 landslides, it said.
At least 29 houses collapsed or were damaged in Siaha district, 23 in Kolasib district, 18 in Lunglei district and 9 in Khawzawl district, the data said.
All schools in the state except those in Saitual district remained shut on Tuesday due to rain.
Officials said that more than a hundred trucks carrying essential commodities to the southern districts were stranded in Serchhip.
A report by the IMD said that Aizawl district received 253.7 mm of rainfall in the last three days, followed by Khawzawl district 248.33 mm and Siaha district received 241.5 mm of rainfall during the same period.
Light to moderate rainfall is predicted in the coming five days, the report said.
5.35 lakh affected in Assam; PM dials Himanta
Assam: The flood situation in Assam remained grim on Tuesday with more than 5.35 lakh people affected in over 20 districts even as the meteorological department predicted more rain in several parts.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday took stock of the flood situation in Assam from Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, assuring him of full support from the central government. Sarma will be visiting Cachar district, which is among the worst-hit areas of the state in the current floods, during the day.
The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Guwahati issued an ‘orange alert’ for the four districts of Dhubri, South Salmara Mankachar, Goalpara and Kokrajhar for Tuesday.
An ‘orange alert’ implies ‘be prepared to take action’ and is sounded when thunderstorm and lightning accompanied with gusty wind reaching wind speed 30 to 40 kmph with heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to occur at isolated places.
‘Yellow alert’ to be on ‘watch/be updated’ has been issued for 11 districts of the state by the RMC. It is issued when thunderstorm with lightning and gusty wind with wind speed 30 to 40 kmph is very likely to occur at isolated places.
The overall flood situation remained critical with the death toll in the deluge and landslides at 11 while two others remained missing, officials said. Road, rail and ferry services remained affected in the state due to heavy rain in several areas.
More than 5.15 people in 65 revenue circles and 1,254 villages of 22 districts remained affected, with Sribhumi the worst-hit district with 1,94,172 flood-hit population. A total of 165 relief camps are sheltering 31,212 displaced people, while another 157 relief distribution centres are also functional. A crop area of 12,610 hectares has been inundated, while 94 animals have been washed away in the last 24 hours.
Brahmaputra, Barak and Kopili rivers were flowing above the danger level at multiple places, while other rivers including Subansiri, Burhidihing, Dhansiri, Rukni, Dhaleswari, Katakhal and and Kushiyara were also above the red mark as per data released late on Monday evening.
Embankments have been breached or affected at different places, besides damage to other infrastructure like roads, bridges, houses, electricity poles, etc.
Two districts remained affected by ‘urban floods’ with 21,037 affected population, officials said.
Briefing Modi over the phone, Sarma informed him how continuous rainfall in Assam and adjoining states has led to flooding and impacted the people.
“A short while ago, Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji called me to enquire about the current flood situation in Assam,” Sarma said in a post on X.
The chief minister briefed him on how continuous rainfall in Assam and adjoining states has led to flooding and impacted many lives.
He also apprised the prime minister of the relief operation undertaken by the state government.
“The Hon’ble PM expressed concern and assured full support from the Central Government for our relief and rehabilitation efforts,” Sarma said.
“Grateful for his guidance and unwavering support to the people of Assam,” the CM added.
Over 56,000 people affected in Manipur
Manipur: Over 56,000 people have been affected by flash floods triggered by overflowing rivers and embankment breaches in Manipur, an official statement said on Tuesday.
It said that 10,477 houses have been damaged and 56,516 174 people affected by the floods.
One person went missing after being swept away by a river in Imphal East district on Monday, it said, adding that 2,913 people have been evacuated from the affected areas. A fresh breach of embankment was reported at Bashikhong in Imphal East district after the Kongba river breached its embankments on Monday, officials said.
At least 57 relief camps have been opened for affected people mostly in Imphal East district, which is the worst flood-affected district in the state. Ninety-three landslides have been reported in the last five days across the state.
Several localities in the state’s capital Imphal, and many parts of Imphal East district have been inundated after a swollen river breached embankments and overflowed in Khurai, Heingang and Checkon areas.
Meanwhile, the body of a 57-year-old man, who had been missing since Sunday after reportedly falling into the Abulok River in Imphal West, was recovered by volunteers and local residents on Tuesday. The Manipur Police said the body of the deceased, identified as Takhellambam Ibochouba of Lairenkabi Mamang Leikai, Imphal West, was found at around 12.20 pm during a joint search operation by volunteers of Arambai Tengol, a Meitei group, and local residents.
“The body was found in the river, around 100 feet from the spot where he reportedly fell,” a police officer said. Following due procedures and a post-mortem examination at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal, the body was handed over to the family, said Lamphel Police.
Arunachal Pradesh flood toll rises to 11
Arunachal Pradesh: The death toll in floods and landslides triggered by relentless rain in Arunachal Pradesh has increased to 11 as a labourer died in a wall collapse incident in Anjaw district, officials said on Tuesday.
According to a State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) statement, while 38-year-old Bhaben Murmu died when a wall collapsed during a landslide on June 1, three GREF workers were injured in the incident.
A total of 938 people are now affected by floods in 156 villages in 23 districts, it said. Lower Subansiri district reported significant damage, including the destruction of 114 kutcha houses, 45 pucca houses, and nine huts. The district has also seen serious infrastructure losses, including the damage of 51 roads, 17 power lines, 23 water supply lines and two schools, officials said. Widespread destruction has also been reported in the Itanagar Capital Region (ICR) and Pakke Kessang, where key assets such as ICR’s main water pipeline and the road at Dariya Hill have been severely affected. Flood-like conditions and landslides have been reported in multiple districts, including West Kameng, Kamle, Lower and Upper Subansiri, Papum Pare, Dibang Valley, Lower Dibang Valley, Lohit, Changlang, Kra Daadi, Kurung Kumey, and Longding, as rivers and tributaries continued to flow above danger levels, they said. The floods and landslides have damaged around 15 hectares of crop fields, eight hectares of horticulture plantations, and seven hectares of agricultural land. In Changlang district, flash floods from the Buri-Dihing River washed away half of the Makantong bridge on the Trans-Arunachal Highway on Saturday, cutting off road connectivity between Miao and Bordumsa. Large areas in the Miao subdivision are submerged, with significant loss of livestock and horticultural property.
Popular tourist spots like Zupra and River Cafe along the Noa-Dehing River have also been submerged. The Industrial Training Institute (ITI) at Balinong, under Kharsang circle, suffered massive damage, with hostels, staff quarters, water tanks, and other infrastructure destroyed, they added.
The Noa-Dehing River has further eroded large tracts of agricultural and horticultural land in Dharmapur block under Namphai circle.
In Upper Subansiri, the water supply system has been badly disrupted after the Hangkar pipeline suffered multiple breaches. Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) teams are working to restore the system while tankers are providing emergency water supply.
Authorities in Namsai district have opened a relief camp at Alubari Government Secondary School, where 59 displaced people are currently being sheltered.
State Disaster Management Secretary Dani Sulu said that relief and rescue operations are ongoing.
So far, 18 people have been evacuated, including 14 labourers who were airlifted from Lower Dibang Valley and four others rescued from Jallukbari village in Lohit district, he added.