Torrential rains trigger flood havoc, landslides in Manipur

Torrential rain triggered flash floods, water logging and landslides in several parts of Manipur on Sunday.
Several areas in Imphal East, Imphal West and Thoubal district were inundated even as landslides and mudslides were reported in hill districts like Noney, Tamenglong, Senapati and Ukhrul districts due to heavy downpour in the last 24 hours.
The situation is likely to worsen as water levels of major rivers like Imphal River, Nambul River, Iril River and Thoubal Rivers were increasing significantly while running above the flood levels.
Officials of the state water resource department said the department is closely monitoring the rise in water levels of the rivers.
The water levels rose significantly but are likely to rise further as moderate to heavy rainfall is ex-pected across the state, particularly in hill districts of Senapati, Ukhrul, Kamjong, Tengnoupal, Chandel where most of the rivers originated.
Light to moderate rain is expected in other districts too, the official added.
Continuous rainfall over the past two-three days has unleashed severe flooding across several parts of Imphal East district, inundating houses, rice fields, fish ponds, vegetable farms, and poultry units.
The flash floods in the northern part of Imphal East district where waist deep flash floods severely affected normal lives in Yaingangpokpi, Santikhongbal and Sabungkhok Khunou area.
Flood waters have also started submerging localities like Lamlai, Nongada and Tillou Chana.
While extensive damage to property has been reported, there are no reports of casualties so far.
The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) has swung into action and launched rescue and relief operations.
Teams have evacuated 30 to 40 residents from submerged homes and shifted them to safer areas.
So far, nearly 50 to 60 houses have been under water. As of now, no missing persons have been reported,” SDRF officials said.
Authorities continue to monitor the rising water levels, warning that further rainfall could worsen the situation and pose risks to nearby areas.
Apart from destroying standing agricultural crops, over 100 houses including relief camps where internally displaced persons (IDPS) taking shelter have been inundated, forcing them to take shel-ter at relief camps opened at safer places.
Vast paddy fields with standing crops were on the verge of complete destruction as the crops were under muddy flood water.
With the flood water level rising further and started entering more residential compounds, more families have also shifted to safer places, reports said.
Normal vehicular movement along the Imphal-Ukhrul Road was also disturbed as the road has been submerged under water at several places.
Similar situations of disturbing vehicular traffic were reported along Imphal-Moreh section of NH-102 at Kakwa in Imphal and parts of Singjamei.
Normal traffic was also hit in Sagolband area of Imphal West where most of the roads in the area were under water due to water-logging.
In Thoubal district, reports said, many places in Yairipok area adjoining Imphal East district were flooded due to overflow of Thoubal and other rivers flowing in the area.
Several places in the district headquarters were also inundated by the overflow of Thoubal River coupled with water-logging, reports said.
A relief camp of the IDPs at Wangjing Kodompokpi Sports Complex at the district headquarters has been inundated following flash flooding.
The situation has added to the hardships of displaced residents seeking shelter at the facility, the reports said.
A wooden bridge on a river connecting Imphal East and Thoubal has been swept away by the swift current water.
In the hill districts too, the torrential rains triggered mudslides and landslides at various places.
In Senapati district, official reports said, apart from mudslides at various places in the interior of the district, water level of the river passing to the district headquarters was rapidly increasing due to continuous rain since Saturday.
Landslides were reported at Awangkhul in Noney district as well as from hill districts of Senapati and Kamjong.
Light to moderate continuous rains were reported from Churachandpur district but no flooding re-ported as of now, officials said.
Though there were no reports of flood and landslide related human casualty from any part of the state so far, many cattle and domestic fowls have been killed, reports said.
On the other hand, the IMD Imphal centre warned of heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and lightning in several districts of Manipur over the next two days.
Tamenglong, Senapati, Ukhrul, Kamjong, Jiribam, and Chandel may face strong winds of up to 40 kmph, while Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur, Thoubal, and Kakching are also likely to be af-fected, the IMD forecasted.
Conditions are expected to improve after September 16, it added.
Meanwhile, police retrieved the dead body of an unidentified man from the Imphal River today morning at Mayang Imphal.
Due to continuous rains, the swollen river’s strong currents reportedly carried the body down-stream before it was retrieved.
The police shifted the body to the RIMS morgue for identification and necessary post-mortem ex-amination, the source said.