GUWAHATI: Flash floods and landslides, triggered by torrential rains, continued to wreak havoc in the Northeast, claiming the lives of 12 people, rendering thousands homeless and disrupting rail services.
The deaths occurred in Assam (three), Manipur (five) and Tripura (four). In a WhatsApp message to The New Indian Express, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh confirmed the deaths of five people in the state.
Large swathes of land in Imphal Valley were under water thereby throwing life out of gear. The state government declared two-day holiday till Friday at all educational institutes and government offices in Imphal and its neighbouring districts.
Vehicular traffic on a national highway, which connects the state with southern Assam’s Barak Valley, continued to remain disrupted following landslides. Fifteen relief camps have been set up by the authorities across the state.
In Assam, the floods and landslides affected nearly 1.7 lakh people. One person lost his life in the floods in Golaghat district while two others died in landslides in the hill district of Dima Hasao. Train services in the district, which falls between the Brahmaputra Valley and the Barak Valley, were disrupted following landslides at five places.
The affected districts in Assam are Hojai, Cachar, Golaghat, Hailakandi, Karimganj, Karbi Anglong (East) and West Karbi Anglong. According to Assam State Disaster Management Authorities, rivers such as Dhansiri, Barak, Katakhal and Kushiyara were flowing above danger level at several places.
Teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were engaged in the rescue and relief operations. The authorities set up relief camps in Karimganj, Hailakandi, Karbi Anglong (East) and Golaghat districts where nearly 36,000 people were lodged.
In Tripura, the deaths occurred over the past 48 hours in Khowai, South Tripura and Unakoti districts. According to official sources, the houses of over 14,000 families remained submerged in flood waters for the past three days.
The state government has sought the help of Army and NDRF for evacuation of the marooned. Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb briefed Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh of the situation.
In Mizoram, flash floods and landslides were reported from Lunglei and Aizawl districts. Vehicular traffic was disrupted on two roads, the lifelines of the state’s southern part, following landslides on Wednesday night. In Lunglei district on the India-Bangladesh border, some 60 houses remained submerged under flood waters.