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

North-east India continued to battle heavy rains and landslides with more than four lakh people affected in Assam and about 1,500 tourists stranded in Sikkim. Incessant rain caused massive inundation across Tripura and Mizoram. Heavy rain wreaked havoc in Manipur with 3,802 people affected and 883 houses damaged due to floods and landslides across the state in the last 48 hours, officials said on Sunday.

Stranded tourists in Sikkim

Around 1,500 tourists remained stranded in north Sikkim as heavy rains continued to batter Mangan district for the third successive day on Sunday (June 1), officials said.

Two bridges were partially damaged due to inclement weather conditions, they said. Heavy rains also swept other parts of Sikkim in the past 24 hours.

A landslide occurred near Nimachen Premlakha in East Sikkim, the officials said, adding that commuters have been advised to stay alert and ensure safe travel.

Around 112 tourists remained stranded in Lachen and 1,350 in Lachung due to disruption in road connectivity, they said.

Heavy machinery from the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has been deployed to clear the road from Lachung to Chungthang and further from Chungthang to Theeng tunnel. The evacuation of tourists stranded in Lachen is being planned via an alternative route through Zemma-Donkela-Chungthang-Shipgyer-Sankalang-Phidang, the officials said.

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

Meanwhile, the Zemma approach road has reportedly been washed out due to rising water levels and strong currents of the river, one of the officials said.

"Restoration work is expected to begin soon, and the evacuation through this route will commence only once the approach road is rebuilt," he added.

The Phidang Bridge, located in the Dzongu region, got damaged due to a strong current in the Teesta river in the wake of the heavy rain, another official said.

"The river current has eroded its base, which may affect the structural stability of the bridge. The situation is being closely monitored as the bridge is crucial for movement and connectivity in the area," he said.

The road connectivity of 13 Gram Panchayat Units (GPUs) with other parts of Sikkim remains snapped for the time being, he said.

The Sangkalang Bailey Bridge, connecting Mangan to Chungthang, has also been partially damaged due to the current of the Teesta River, the officials said.

The bridge is in a critical condition and may no longer be safe for public use, an official said, adding that the monsoon rainfall has intensified, leading to a swollen Teesta river on which the structure is built.

4 lakh people affected in Assam

Two more deaths took the toll in floods and landslides in Assam to 10 as more than 4 lakh people remained affected in over 20 districts on Sunday, with seven major rivers in spate, an official bulletin said.

The situation is likely to aggravate for people living in low-lying and river bank areas due to continued heavy rainfall in the state and neighbouring areas, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma cautioned.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah dialled Sarma during the day to take stock of the situation and assured of all possible assistance, as multiple agencies remained engaged in rescue and relief operations. Fourteen stranded people were rescued by an IAF helicopter from the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border.

Road, railway and ferry services have been hit in different parts as most areas in the state continued receiving rain over the past few days.

The state government announced ex-gratia of ₹4 lakh each for the families of the five persons killed in landslides in Guwahati over the last few days.

Also Read: Heavy rain pounds North Sikkim: 500 tourists stranded, search for 8 called off

An Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) bulletin issued late evening said one death each has been reported in Cachar and Sribhumi districts over the last 24 hours.

The toll in floods and landslides in the state is now at 10.

The bulletin said 3,64,046 people in 56 revenue circles and 764 villages of 19 districts are reeling under floods. Cachar is the worst-hit with 1,03,790 affected people, followed by Sribhumi with 83,621 and Nagaon with 62,700.

An official statement from Cachar said all educational institutions in the district will remain closed for two days till Tuesday.

A total of 52 relief camps are sheltering 10,272 inmates, while another 103 relief distribution centres are functional.

The rivers flowing above the danger level in the state are Brahmaputra in Dibrugarh and Neamatighat, Dhansiri in Numaligarh, Kopili in Kampur, Katakhal in Matizuri, Barak in Badarpur Ghat and Kushiyara in Sribhumi.

Meanwhile, four trains were cancelled and another short-terminated/ short-originated due to water flowing over the tracks on the Baraigram- Dullabcherra section, a Northeast Frontier Railway spokesperson said.

Officials said ferry services between Jorhat and Majuli have been suspended with immediate effect due to the rising water level of the Brahmaputra river.

Massive inundation across Tripura

A man died after he fell into a manhole as incessant rain caused massive inundation across Tripura, with the state's capital Agartala witnessing a record rainfall of around 200 mm in just three hours, officials said on Sunday.

Normal life was affected as heavy rain battered the city, many low-lying areas were inundated, and people were seen wading through knee-deep waters in front of Chief Minister Manik Saha's residence.

Revenue Secretary Brijesh Pandey said three districts of Tripura - West Tripura, Unakoti and North Tripura - witnessed floods due to the torrential rains in the past 24 hours.

As many as 10,600 members of 2,800 families were evacuated after their houses had been submerged by the floodwater and shifted to 60 relief camps across the state, he said, adding that 14 teams have been engaged in rescue operations.

Pandey said the chief minister on Sunday visited some relief camps in West Tripura district to see the condition of inmates. Saha on Sunday said around 1,300 families have taken shelter in camps in West Tripura district due to incessant rainfall in the past 48 hours.

Agartala Mayor Dipak Majumder visited waterlogged areas in the state capital to take stock of the situation and said the city recorded the "highest downpour of 200 mm in just three hours on Saturday night", causing waterlogging in several localities.

"One person died after he fell into a manhole at Jackson Gate. A control room has been made operational to monitor the flood-like situation," he told the reporters.

A 'red alert' was sounded on Sunday in all eight districts of Tripura for extremely heavy rainfall. All the district magistrates (DMs) were asked to take all precautionary measures to deal with any situation, he said.

Also Read: Heavy rainfall batters Northeastern states; flash floods, landslides kill 19

The Agartala mayor said all the pumping stations in the city have been working to drain out the rainwater at the earliest.

"Due to incessant rain over the past two days, around 1,300 families have taken shelter in relief camps in West Tripura district. The government is keeping a close eye on the situation. The district administration, NDRF, SDRF, civil volunteers and different agencies have been deployed to help the marooned people," the chief minister wrote on Facebook.

Over 5,000 city dwellers have taken shelter in 27 relief camps of the Agartala Municipal Corporation after several areas have been waterlogged, Kumar said.

He said the water level in the Howrah river, which has rendered several hundred families homeless, is still flowing at the danger level but will recede if there is no further rain.

"If the downpour continues, the situation may worsen in Agartala city and its adjacent areas, but we are ready to deal with any eventuality," the district magistrate said.

The chief minister urged the people to follow the instructions of the administration, and said the water level in many locations started receding as all the pumping stations have been made operational.

Landslides, waterlogging in Mizoram

Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Sunday held an emergency meeting with ministers and important officials in the wake of landslides and waterlogging, triggered by heavy rains that lashed the state since May 24.

Officials of the state disaster management and rehabilitation said that landslides were reported in more than 13 places during the day, blocking highways. At least four houses in Aizawl and 2 others in Serchhip collapsed due to landslides, they said.

Several travellers were also stranded at various places, particularly in Thenzawl, Serchhip, and Sialsuk due to rain-induced calamities, they said.

"So far, 60 houses have collapsed or have been damaged, and 69 others have been vacated due to landslides or mudslides and floods across the state," one of the officials said.

Landslides have occurred in 211 locations in different parts of the state till Sunday, and highways have been blocked at 83 locations, they said.

Also Read: 'Red alert' in most of Assam for heavy rain; Guwahati hit by massive waterlogging

Officials of the state power department said that at least 7 sub-stations of 33 KV have been damaged and more than one-third area of the entire state is facing power outages due to rains.

The public health engineering department also said that water supply has been disrupted in around 50 places.

During the meeting chaired by the CM, the government decided to take stringent measures against construction and building plans to prevent calamities, another official said.

Landslides and natural calamities during the current monsoon season have claimed the lives of five people so far.

During the meeting, they observed that many of the calamities that occurred in the state were man-made, and agreed that stringent measures be taken against construction, site development, slope modification and other building plans to avoid such disasters, he said.

Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely in the state on Monday, said an IMD report.

Havoc in Manipur

Heavy rain wreaked havoc in Manipur with 3,802 people affected and 883 houses damaged due to floods and landslides across the state in the last 48 hours, officials said on Sunday.

Several localities in the state's capital Imphal, and many parts of Imphal East district have been inundated after a swollen river breached embankments and overflowed in Khurai, Heingang and Checkon areas, they said.

Waterlogging was reported on the premises of several offices, health facilities, and establishments, including All India Radio Imphal complex, and state-run Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences, after the Imphal river overflowed in the Checkon area, one of the officials said.

Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla visited several inundated areas of Imphal town even as the army and Assam Rifles personnel rescued nearly 800 people from submerged localities in Imphal East, the worst-affected district, they said.

Overall, 12 landslides occurred across the state so far, he said.

The water level of the Iril river in Imphal East district crossed the danger mark on Sunday but is yet to breach the embankments, he said. Locals and authorities have been trying to strengthen the embankments.

In view of the incessant rain, the governor announced the extension of the summer vacation in schools in Imphal East and West districts and the Senapati sub-division of Senapati district until further orders.

Also Read: Manipur rains: 3,802 people affected, 883 houses damaged

The Indian army and Assam Rifles rescued approximately 800 civilians on Saturday, a statement said. The authorities are coordinating with all relevant departments and agencies to ensure timely relief and rehabilitation efforts, another statement said.

Meanwhile, Lok Sabha MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam has urged the governor to declare the flood situation a "state calamity".

Manipur Congress President Keisham Meghachandra Singh on Sunday alleged that the water resources department has failed to control floods in various vulnerable areas of the state.

He made the remarks during a visit to flood-affected areas of the Heingang constituency of former chief minister N Biren Singh.

The Congress leader stressed that residential and agricultural areas have been submerged by overflowing rivers as the construction of various retaining walls remained incomplete.

AP govt trying to evacuate tourists

The Andhra Pradesh government is working towards rescuing Telugu people stranded at Lachung, Sikkim due to severe flooding and landslides, a top official said on Sunday.

According to a release from Andhra Pradesh Bhavan's Resident Commissioner in New Delhi, Union Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu is working towards the evacuation of stranded people.

Following the directives of Ravi Chandra, Principal Secretary to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, a team from Andhra Pradesh Bhavan is in touch with Sikkim's local authorities for the evacuation efforts.

Authorities have confirmed all individuals are safe. Evacuation measures will commence after access routes are restored, ensuring a safe return for the affected Telugu families.

(With agency inputs)