Floods, landslides cause destruction in Northeastern states; IMD predicts heavy rains till June 3

GUWAHATI(Assam):As the northeast region reels under heavy rains, with various areas in Assam, Manipur, Tripura, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and more are experiencing flooding, landslides and increasing river levels.

According to Assam Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah, at least 5 people have died due to landslides in Assam, with the state government announcing Rs 4 lakh ex-gratia to the kin of the victims.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has also assured of every possible help to the flood-affected areas in the northeast region, and also spoke with the Chief Ministers of Assam, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh and the Governor of Manipur.

“Spoke with the Chief Ministers of Assam, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh and the Governor of Manipur in the wake of ongoing heavy rainfall in their states. Also assured them of every possible help to tackle any situation. The Modi government stands like a rock in support of the people of the Northeast,” Shah posted on X

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also warned of rising river levels, telling people to be careful, especially on river banks.

“Heavy rainfall in Arunachal Pradesh — Kibitoo (17 cm), Hayuliang (15 cm), Kalaktang (10 cm) — may lead to a sharp rise in river levels downstream. Assam already witnessing intense rain in Silchar (42 cm), Karimganj (35 cm), Hailakandi (30 cm) and in nearby areas. People in low-lying and riverbank areas are advised to stay alert and follow local advisories,” CM Sarma posted on X.

Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi also reaffirmed his support for the people in the state, saying that party leaders will be visiting affected areas across the state, who will then work on immediate assistance and work to solve the “recurring flood crisis.”

“Floods have once again disrupted lives across Assam, especially in districts like Lakhimpur and Sivasagar. As APCC President, I have asked senior leaders to visit the worst-affected areas, assess the situation on the ground, and work with local authorities to push for timely relief and support. Former PCC President and campaign committee chief Bhupen Bora ji also visited Ranganadi to take stock of the situation and meet the affected people,” Gogoi posted on X.

“Their reports will guide our next steps, both in immediate assistance and in demanding long-term solutions to Assam’s recurring flood crisis. We remain committed to standing with the people of Assam during this difficult time,” he added.

According to the flood reports of Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), one person drowned in flood waters in Sribhumi district, while a child lost his life after drowning in flood waters in Cachar district.

The flood situation in the state has become critical on Sunday, affecting 3.64 lakh people of 19 districts of the state – Lakhimpur, Dibrugarh, Hailakandi, Hojai, Kamrup, Dhemaji, Nagaon, Sribhumi, Darrang, Karbi Anglong, Sonitpur, DimaHasao, Biswanath, Cachar, Sivasagar, Majuli, Golaghat, Tinsukia, Karbi Anglong West.

The ASDMA report has said that more than 1 lakh people have been affected in Cachar district while more than 83 thousand affected in Sribhumi, 62 thousand in Nagaon, 46 thousand in Lakhimpur, 19 thousand in Tinsukia, 10 thousand in Dibrugarh.

The flood waters have submerged 764 villages under 56 revenue circles covering 3524 hectares of crop area.

More than 55,000 people have taken shelter in 155 relief camps and distribution centres set up by the district administration in the flood affected areas, while the Air Force, NDRF, SDRF, fire and emergency services, Civil defence and local administration engaged in rescue operations in the flood affected areas, rescuing over 500 people.

Meanwhile, in Manipur, the Assam Rifles, with the Army and fire officials, have rescued over 1500 people, providing them with relief materials.

Talking about the rescue efforts, Engineer Task Force Commander said that they are closely monitoring the situation as the rains have started become severe. According to Colonel Gunavrat Bhivgade thousands of people have been rescued in the last 48 hrs in multiple areas.

Commanding officer of 33 Assam Rifles Colonel Radha Krishnan said that over 1500 people have been rescued in Imphal East and West.

“So far, we have rescued around 1500 people from Imphal East and West. Eight columns and four reserve columns are deployed on the ground, helping the people,” he added.

Earlier today, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha visited the affected areas in the state, as schools are being used for shelter. Saha said that looking at the water receding after a few hours have shown that the drainage system is fine.

“There is heavy rainfall in the entire Northeastern region… I am visiting the affected areas. The secretary of the Disaster Management is also with me… Other officials are also there with me. We are making sure that food supplies are adequate… Shelters have been formed in schools… Even after heavy rains, the water receded within 2-3 hours. This means that the drainage system is fine…,” CM Saha told ANI.

Tripura witnessed heavy to very heavy rainfall across multiple districts on Sunday and is expected to receive extremely heavy downpour in isolated areas till June 4, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Arunachal Pradesh’s CM, Pema Khandu offered condolences to the families of the people who died due to massive landslides triggered by incessant monsoon rains since last few days across the state and announced ex-gratia worth Rs 4 lakh each to the kin of the deceased.

Atleast 9 deaths have been reported in the state, seven in East Kameng district and two in Ziro valley.

Expecting more rain in the coming days, Chief Minister Khandu has called upon the people to remain vigilant and maintain extreme caution.

He appealed to all not to travel, especially during the night, if not absolutely necessary, as almost all rivers, rivulets, and streams across the state are in spate, Khandu advised all not to venture into rivers and urged dwellers in vulnerable areas to move to safer locations.

“My heart goes out to the departed souls. Our prayers are with them. Let’s maintain extreme caution and remain vigilant to avoid further loss of lives,” he added.

Moreover, seven people have been killed due to a landslide on the National Highway in Seppa West assembly constituency, Arunachal Pradesh Home Minister Mama Natung said on Saturday.

Assam Rifles has also launched relief operations in coordination with the Army and local administration across various states.

Flood Relief Columns were immediately deployed to the affected areas in close coordination with the West Tripura District Disaster Management Team. The quick response and dedicated efforts of Assam Rifles personnel resulted in the safe rescue of 67 civilians, including women and children, from flood-prone localities.

Meanwhile, in Sikkim, Mangan district Superintendent of Police Dechu Bhutia said that over a thousand tourists were stranded in Lachen and Lachung in Mangan District due to the rains inducing landslides, bridge collapse and damage along with a high rise of the River Teesta. He said that the evacuation process had to be delayed due to the landslide which happened on Friday in Shipgyer in Upper Dozongu. The Mangan SP assured that the evacuation of tourists will be carried out on Monday

Further, with damages to the base of Phidang bridge has restricted vehicular movement to Dzongu constituency. The GREF carried out the restoration work on Sunday, allowing on foot commute for local residents and few emergency service vehicles.

Multiple tourists are also reported missing, he said, “Our teams are working to locate them. The vehicle was visible two days prior, but now with the rising river level, the vehicle cannot be located… We were able to locate a few mobile phones and identity cards, which we have kept in the police station, but no trace of missing individuals. Something like a dead body was visible. The body is at such a location in the cliff that we were unable to reach it either through the use of ropes or by crossing the river with a lifeboat.”

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on May 30 that as the depression over Bangladesh is likely to move nearly north-northeastwards and weaken into a well-marked low-pressure area during the next 12 hours, warning of very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall to continue in various regions.

For the next few days, IMD has forecast that rains are likely to occur in most regions of the northeast until June 5, with no large change in maximum temperature in various areas.

Thunderstorm and lightning warnings over isolated places in Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura have been issued by the IMD till June 4, with heavy rainfall also expected over Arunachal, Assam, and Meghalaya (ANI)