Arunachal: Heavy rain triggers landslides, flash floods; 5 missing

Itanagar, Jun 24 (PTI) Incessant rain triggered flash floods in Arunachal Pradesh’s Keyi Panyor district on Wednesday, leaving five people missing, injuring 17 others and damaging at least 18 residential units, while landslides disrupted road connectivity and stranded travellers, officials said.

The missing persons from the Neepco Project Colony near Poosa under Yazali circle have been identified as Elesh Marak (13), Balari Marak (30), Tao Anjina (46), Nirmala Gupta (35) and Sourav Kumar, State Disaster Management secretary Dani Sulu said.

Search and rescue operations are underway.

Seventeen people sustained injuries in the flash floods, including three who were critically injured and later evacuated to Ziro in Lower Subansiri district for treatment,

Sulu said.

An under-construction retaining wall collapsed due to the heavy downpour, leading to waterlogging in low-lying residential areas in and around the colony, he said.

At least 18 residential units were damaged in the incident, the official added.

District police and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel rescued one Bishu Sinha from Yazali reservoir, while a scientist of the Geological Survey of India (GSI) was rescued from a stretch of National Highway 13 affected by the calamity, police said.

The administration has directed the additional deputy commissioner, deputy superintendent of police and circle officer concerned to rush to the affected site for assessment and coordination of rescue operations.

“A team of SDRF has been deployed, while the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been alerted and is moving towards the area to assist in relief and rescue efforts,” Sulu said.

All available reserve personnel and vehicles within the Yazali jurisdiction have been mobilised, while ex-servicemen have also been called in to support emergency operations, he said.

The North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (Neepco) has begun releasing water from the reservoir of the Panyor Lower Hydropower Project as a precautionary measure, and power generation at the project has been temporarily suspended, the secretary said.

Heavy rainfall also disrupted road connectivity in the district, with three stretches of NH-13 near Potin and Hoj blocked by landslides, leaving several people stranded, he said.

As many as six districts — Keyi Panyor, Kra Daadi, Kurung Kumey, Lower Subansiri, Kamle and Upper Subansiri — have been cut off due to monsoon-related disruptions triggered by heavy rainfall, Keyi Panyor Superintendent of Police Angad Mehta said in a statement.

Major landslides occurred along the Kimin-Ziro route, while damage assessment is underway, he said.

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has intensified restoration efforts, and connectivity through the Kimin route is expected to be restored by Thursday afternoon, Mehta added.

Landslides have also been reported on the Itanagar-Hoj-Yazali stretch of NH-13.

The road connecting Mepsoro and the Hoj Highway Junction has been completely cut off due to massive landslides at several locations, disrupting vehicular movement.

Restoration work is being carried out on a war footing, though officials said it was too early to estimate when the road would be reopened.

Travellers from East Kameng, Pakke Kessang, West Kameng and Tawang districts were advised to avoid the route until further notice.

Arunachal Pradesh has been witnessing heavy rainfall over the past several days, resulting in landslides, flash floods and damage to infrastructure across several districts.

Disaster management authorities have urged people living in vulnerable areas and along riverbanks to remain alert and avoid unnecessary travel. PTI UPL BDC UPL ACD