Heavy rain triggers flash floods in Arunachal; high alert issued in Assam

HEavy rainfall triggered winkle floods in Arunachal Pradesh and damaged at to the lowest degree 18 residential quarters and water-washed aside an under-construction retaining fence, prompting the government in neighbouring Assam to issue a high alert on Wednesday.Rescue operations were hampered as flood-hit areas around the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO)’s project in Poosa remained cut off due to multiple landslides. The project’s helipad was damaged, and road connectivity was severed. The NEEPCO has temporarily shut down its powerhouse and initiated controlled water release from its dam as a precautionary measure.Deputy commissioner Shweta Nagarkoti Mehta said the affected area remained inaccessible from both the Yazali and Hoj-Potin sides due to landslides. A geologist stranded between Potin and Poosa was awaiting rescue.The district administration said a woman was initially reported missing, but the latest reports indicate that three people are unaccounted for. Authorities have not yet confirmed any casualties.Mehta and other district officials have been unable to reach the site. Police and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams were attempting to reach the area on foot.Officials said a bridge had become structurally weak and could collapse under vehicular movement. The alternate route via Sagalee has suffered damage.In Assam, the government said it is closely monitoring the situation in Arunachal Pradesh because it expects a downstream impact. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the Yazali station in Arunachal Pradesh’s Lower Subansiri district recorded about 72.8 mm of rainfall over 24 hours. A bulk of it was recorded between 6am and 9am on Wednesday.The IMD cited satellite and radar imagery and said it indicated that torrential rainfall between 6am and 7:30am resulted in flash floods and a substantial increase in river discharge in the upper catchment areas of Arunachal Pradesh.A substantial rise in levels and flow velocity was expected in the Brahmaputra River and its tributaries downstream in Assam. In a statement, the Assam government said a flood wave was likely to affect districts such as Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Biswanath, and Sonitpur in Assam before moving further downstream and eventually reaching Dhubri over the next one to two days. It added that the situation is being monitored at the highest level.The statement said the state chief secretary has spoken to all concerned authorities and directed them to remain on maximum alert and ensure all necessary preparedness measures on the chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s directions. It added that administrations and line departments in concerned districts have been asked to maintain close vigilance and take timely preventive and response measures.SDRF, National Disaster Response Force, and other emergency response agencies have been being kept ready for deployment. Field-level officers have been directed to closely monitor river conditions and vulnerable locations.People residing in low-lying and flood-prone areas have been advised to remain vigilant and, wherever necessary, move to safer places. The government warned people against venturing into inundated areas and to avoid travelling by country boats and other small vessels across the Brahmaputra and other rivers, as currents are expected to increase considerably.Floods, an annual phenomenon in Assam, have already affected around 35,000 people across five districts. The Desang River is flowing above the danger mark. Ferry services across the Brahmaputra have been stopped in Guwahati due to rising water levels.