Flash floods ravage Arunachal’s Upper Subansiri, bridges washed away and villages hit

Flash floods triggered by heavy rainfall have caused widespread damage in Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Subansiri district, washing away key bridges, damaging houses and disrupting connectivity in several villages, officials said on May 22.

The District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has issued an advisory asking residents to avoid entering rivers for fishing and other activities amid forecasts of continued heavy rainfall in the coming days.

Officials said major infrastructure damage was reported after floodwaters washed away the RCC bridge at Nyo Koro near Ningping village and another bridge connecting Longte village with Giba headquarters, affecting transportation and movement in the area.

In Ningping village, at least seven kutcha houses suffered extensive damage due to the flash floods. Agricultural land, livestock and other properties were also reportedly affected in the disaster.

The district administration is closely monitoring the situation, while authorities are carrying out a detailed assessment of losses caused by the floods.

Meanwhile, the Meteorological Centre in Itanagar has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning on Saturday in Upper Subansiri, Kamle, Kra Daadi, Kurung Kumey, Lower Subansiri, the Siang belt and adjoining districts.

The weather department has also warned of extremely heavy rainfall in isolated areas on Sunday.

Officials said similar weather conditions are likely to persist until Tuesday, raising concerns of further flooding and disruptions in vulnerable regions of the state.