Arunachal Floods Assam Northeast Rainfall Imd

Rain devastation in northeast as floods wash away roads; northern states await relief from heat New Delhi, Jun 29 (PTI)

Relentless monsoon downpours have battered at least 12 districts in Arunachal Pradesh, while almost 45,000 people across five districts in Assam have been affected.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has marked the next five days as crucial, forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall in northeast India and sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim.

An Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter had to be deployed after four people were stranded on an island in Sisiri River in Lower Dibang Valley district. Roing-Anini road was also severely damaged by the rains, with flash floods washing away roads and bridges at several locations.

Eight major road stretches in East Siang, were blocked, severing Yagrung, Tekang, and Sibut villages from Pasighat.

A cloudburst led to flash floods in Ledum and Korang villages under Ruksin subdivision, submerging three houses and damaging 11 others. Rema Bridge collapsed while Bokrang Bridge was damaged. As many as 40 people were rescued from the flood-hit areas by the joint efforts of the state and local volunteers and shifted to safer locations.

Relief camps and emergency operation centres have been set up, multiple agencies deployed for restoration work at severely affected areas, and schools ordered to remain shut till Tuesday, following IMD’s red alert.

Only two of the 11 major roads hit by the rain fury have been reopened, while nine, including the Pasighat-Pangin, Pasighat-Mariyang-Yingkiong, Pasighat-Mebo-Dambuk-Bomjir, Bilat-Ledum and Pasighat-Yagrung-Ledum-Tene roads, continue to be blocked or unsafe. The left-side approach route to Letong Bridge on the Pasighat-Runne-Takilalung road has been swept away.

A massive landslide blocked the flow of Siji River near Likabali checkpost, causing water to accumulate upstream.

Other regions that faced the wrath of the rain fury are Leparada, Keyi Panyor, Papum Pare, Kra Daadi, Kurung Kumey, Lower Subansiri, Kamle, Upper Subansiri, East Siang, Leparada, and Anjaw districts.

Among the 45,000 people affected by the floods in Assam, 41,000 are suffering in the worst-hit Dhemaji, followed by Dibrugarh with close to 4,000 people and Chirang with almost 800 people. Apart from these, Lakhimpur and Nalbari districts were also reeling under a deluge.

According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) report, one person was swept away by waters at Jonai sub-division in Dhemaji district. As many as 257 villages are standing under water, and 4,278.52 hectares of crop areas across Assam have been damaged. Over 76,161 domestic animals and poultry were also affected by the widespread flooding.

Roads, bridges, embankments, and other infrastructure have been severely hit by flood waters. The Disang river has breached the danger mark at Nanglamuraghat.

The administration has set up 12 relief camps and relief distribution centres in two districts, currently caring for 655 displaced people. As much as 519.8 quintals of rice, 93.52 quintals of dal, 28.2 quintals of salt and 2,815.57 litres of mustard oil have been distributed among the flood victims in the last 24 hours.

In Himachal, the Manali-Leh highway was closed following flash floods after the melting snow from the mountain peaks caused the water level in the Jhalma nallah to swell. About a dozen villages were cut off from the district headquarters in Lahaul and Spiti district after the road towards the same was obstructed by debris collected by the floodwaters, the locals told PTI. The Jobrang bridge is also inundated.

#Rajasthan braces for moderate to heavy rains this week, expecting a relief from the heat.

# Conditions are favourable for southwest monsoons to advance into parts of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, and Bihar.