Arunachal's flood situation eases as rivers recede below danger mark

Arunachal Pradesh's flood situation has witnessed a marginal improvement, with most rivers now flowing below the danger level.

At least 12 people have lost their lives due to landslides and floods triggered by monsoon rain this year, while search operations are underway for a missing person, a report from the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said.

As many as 215 villages in 24 districts with a total population of 33,200 were affected due to flood and landslides, while most of the major rivers and their tributaries were in spate but now flowing below the danger level, the report said.

Altogether, 512 houses were damaged across the state, and 432 livestock deaths were reported, including 335 poultry and 97 animals so far.

Seven deaths were reported from East Kameng, two from Lower Subansiri and one each from Longding, Lohit, and Anjaw districts.

Nine of the deceased lost their lives due to landslides, one in a flood-related incident, another due to a wall collapse, and a person was killed after a tree fell on him during inclement weather conditions in Longding district, officials said.

Four others were also injured during natural calamities, an official said.
Changlang is the worst-affected district, with six villages inundated and 2,231 people rendered homeless.

A total of 2,292 people have been evacuated so far, and 2,231 of them were from Changlang alone.

Relief and rescue efforts are underway with support from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), state police and volunteers.

The authorities have opened three relief camps, providing shelter to 239 displaced people, out of which 125 people are sheltered in a relief camp in Changlang district alone, officials said Flash floods washed away the Makantong bridge on the Trans-Arunachal Highway, cutting off road connectivity between Miao and Bordumsa. The authorities have decided to press ferry services for the people.

Several areas in the Miao sub-division remain submerged, with significant losses reported in livestock and horticultural property, officials said.

The swollen Noa-Dehing river has caused damage to agricultural and horticultural fields in the Dharmapur block under the Namphai circle, they said.

The water supply projects in Changlang town, Namtok extra assistant commissioner headquarters, Yatdam circle, Phinbiro-I and II villages and Rang Hill village in the district, were damaged by landslides, triggering a drinking water crisis.

Additionally, floods and landslides damaged around 17 hectares of farmland and 20 hectares of horticulture plantations.

Three hanging bridges at Phaparbari, Two Hut and Lama Camp were also damaged by flood in Changlang district, the report said.

In Upper Siang district, the Sirnyuk hydel (2X100 kilowatt) at Jengging was damaged due to severe rainfall.

In the Itanagar Capital Region, landslides damaged pipelines in the Poma water supply project, triggering a drinking water crisis among the capital denizens.

Officials said that the restoration process would take about several days. However, the department would press water tankers to supply water to the people, they said.

Two fish ponds at Nonpu village in Papum Pare district were destroyed due to heavy rainfall in the past couple of days.