Northeast reels under floods as rains lash Assam, Mizoram; death toll rises to 36

The flood situation in the Northeast remained critical as the death toll due to deluge and landslides triggered by heavy rain over the past few days rose to 36, while over 5.5 lakh remained affected across several states in the region.

In the current wave of floods and landslides across the northeastern region, Assam reported the highest number of fatalities at 11, followed by 10 in Arunachal Pradesh, 6 in Meghalaya, 5 in Mizoram, 3 in Sikkim and one in Tripura.

Also read | North East: Toll rises to 36 in floods and landslides, over 5.5 lakh hit

Grim situation in Assam

The flood situation in Assam remained grim on Tuesday (June 3), with more than 5.35 lakh people affected across 22 districts, even as the meteorological department forecasted further rainfall in several regions.

The overall flood situation remained critical, with the death toll rising and the number of landslide-related deaths is 11, while two others remained missing, officials said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday took stock of the flood situation in Assam from Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, assuring him of full support from the central government.

Sarma, who will be visiting Cachar district, which is among the worst-hit areas of the state in the current floods, updated the PM about the relief operation undertaken by the state government and ongoing challenges due to incessant rainfall in Assam and adjoining states.

Also read | Kharge slams Modi govt for worsening flood situation in northeast, seeks aid

Warnings in place

The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Guwahati issued an 'orange alert' for the four districts of Dhubri, South Salmara Mankachar, Goalpara and Kokrajhar for Tuesday, warning of thunderstorms, lightning, and winds up to 40 kmph, coupled with heavy to very heavy rain.

Eleven other districts are under a ‘yellow alert’, urging residents to remain watchful. A yellow alert is issued when a thunderstorm with lightning and gusty winds, with speeds of 30 to 40 kmph, is very likely to occur at isolated places.

Road, rail and ferry services remained affected in the state due to heavy rain in several areas.

Also Read: Rains continue to batter NE: 4 lakh hit in Assam, 1,500 tourists stuck in Sikkim

Districts submerged

More than 1,254 villages across 22 districts remain affected, with Sribhumi district the worst-affected, with nearly 1.94 lakh flood-hit residents.

A total of 165 relief camps are sheltering 31,212 displaced people, while another 157 relief distribution centres are also operational.

The extent of agricultural damage is also significant, with 12,610 hectares of crop area inundated and 94 animals have been washed away in the past 24 hours.

Multiple rivers, including the Brahmaputra, Barak and Kopili, are flowing above danger levels at several places, while rivers like Subansiri, Burhidihing, Dhansiri, Rukni, Dhaleswari, Katakhal, and Kushiyara were also above the red mark as per data released late on Monday evening.

Infrastructure has suffered severely with breached embankments, damaged roads, bridges, houses and electricity poles. Urban flooding remains a concern, affecting 21,037 residents in two districts.

Also Read: 28 killed in flash floods, landslides over two days as heavy rains pound Northeast

Situation in Mizoram

Neighbouring Mizoram is also grappling with the fallout of heavy rainfall, reporting five deaths in the past ten days due to landslides, flash floods, and collapsing homes, according to the state's Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Department.

Champhai district, which shares a border with Myanmar, has seen the worst impact, with three deaths, 209 landslides, 9 house damages and evacuation of 14 families. In total, 552 landslides have been reported across the state while 152 houses have collapsed or have been damaged due to rain.

In Serchhip district, one fatality, 75 landslides, 27 house damages and the abandonment of 132 homes have been recorded. Aizawl reported one fatality, 18 landslides and 13 damaged homes and 17 others have been abandoned.

Khawzawl district reported 75 landslides, Lunglei district (60) and south Mizoram's Siaha district reported 53 landslides. At least 29 houses collapsed or were damaged in Siaha district, 23 in Kolasib district, 18 in Lunglei district and 9 in Khawzawl district.

Overall, 198 families have abandoned homes due to landslides or fissures, and 92 families evacuated following flooding.

Schools shut, roads blocked

In light of the ongoing crisis, all schools across Mizoram, barring those in Saitual district, were shut on Tuesday.

State authorities are struggling to restore connectivity and essential supplies to southern districts. Many areas have become inaccessible, with over 100 trucks carrying essential commodities have been stranded in Serchhip.

A report by the IMD said that Aizawl district received 253.7 mm of rainfall in the last three days, followed by Khawzawl district 248.33 mm and Siaha district received 241.5 mm of rainfall during the same period.

Light to moderate rainfall is predicted in the coming five days, the report said.