Three dead in Arunachal’s Keyi Panyor district after a cloudburst triggered flash floods. A damage assessment is underway amid more rain warnings. Survivors share harrowing tales as floods impact Assam, severing road and rail connectivity.
Four days after a cloudburst triggered flash floods and landslides in Arunachal Pradesh’s Keyi Panyor district, authorities on Sunday recovered the body of a third victim, continued restoration work amid persistent rainfall and initiated a comprehensive assessment of damage to homes and other properties.
The district administration of Keyi Panyor has constituted a Verification Committee to assess the damage caused by the recent flash floods. The committee has been directed to undertake field verification on June 29 and submit a detailed verification report, along with its recommendations, to the Deputy Commissioner immediately.
Weather Warnings Issued
While the East Kameng district administration in Arunachal Pradesh has issued a weather advisory warning of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and heavy rainfall across the district from June 28 to July 1, following a forecast by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The advisory has been issued by the Office of the Deputy Commissioner, urging residents to remain alert and strictly adhere to safety guidelines in view of the anticipated adverse weather conditions. Authorities have cautioned that the prevailing weather pattern may trigger landslides, flash floods, and disruption in normal life in vulnerable areas of the district.
Survivors Recount Horror
Survivors of the devastating flash floods recalled the terrifying moments when raging waters swallowed their homes, livelihoods and lifelong possessions, forcing families to seek refuge in temporary relief camps after narrowly escaping with their lives.
A 46-year-old Rumi Rabha, who is an employee of NEEPCO, along with her husband, is taking shelter at a temporary relief camp after the flash flood washed away her official quarter at NEEPCO Colony near Possa village. Speaking to ANI, Rabha said, “It was raining very heavily, non-stop. Then the boundary wall collapsed, and the water rushed right inside. We managed to get out somehow, but the house was completely swept away. Nothing is left. We are just scraping by on whatever food people give us; that’s how we’re living. We don’t know what will happen later. We had so many belongings, gold and everything. All our possessions were right here in the house. We barely managed to escape, but we couldn’t save a thing.”
Another resident, Jhankeswari Sharma, said she and her husband escaped with their lives but lost everything they had spent years building as raging floodwaters swept away their belongings within minutes. “I woke up before 4:00 AM. My room was flooded. Nothing is left inside. Only the two of us survived. I managed to save my husband as well. I had stepped out onto the veranda, and I called out to him just in time to get him to safety. In all my years living here, I have never seen anything like this… This time we were left with absolutely nothing…The water rose so high that it swept everything out of its path… We couldn’t save a single thing… We built our lives here, never realising that if the river swelled, we wouldn’t even see the danger coming until it was too late,” Sharma told ANI.
Locals Face Fear Amidst Restoration Efforts
A local resident, Sajal Pandit, said continuous rainfall and recurring landslides had created panic among people despite the administration’s efforts to restore normalcy. “The rain has been continuous, and landslides are occurring as a result. There is a growing sense of panic and fear among everyone. The government is doing a good job, doing the best they can, but given the current bad weather and falling rocks, people are naturally afraid. The administration is opening the road intermittently for short periods, prioritising essential vehicles like ambulances, to let traffic pass, and the general public is also moving through in small batches,” he said.
“It would be best for people to avoid travelling unless it is for something urgent. There is a prevailing sense of fear. The administration has also issued an advisory, and people should follow it. The Yazali police department is also working very hard; they are on duty morning, evening, and night, managing the situation and allowing people to proceed home one by one to ensure there are no issues on the road,” he further added.
Infrastructure Damage and Restoration
Landslides have also been reported at multiple locations along the Potin-Possa connecting road, prompting the district administration to restrict the movement of heavy vehicles.
BRO Restores Vital Road
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), under Project Arunank, restored the vital Kimin-Potin road within an impressive 36 hours. The incessant rainfall triggered multiple landslides and major formation breaches along the 45-km road stretch, washing away sections of the roadway and burying several areas under mud, boulders and uprooted trees. The disruption completely halted vehicular movement and severed connectivity to important locations, including Potin, Yazali, Yachuli, Joram and Ziro. The road closure also affected the movement of essential commodities, emergency response teams and access to critical healthcare facilities, including the Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (TRIHMS) in Naharlagun.
Floods Extend to Assam, Disrupting Connectivity
Meanwhile, heavy rainfall in Arunachal Pradesh has caused the Leku River to overflow, triggering severe flooding in Assam’s Jonai region. More than 100 families have been affected, with several houses, agricultural fields, and livestock submerged in floodwaters.
According to local residents, this is the first time the Leku River has entered villages on such a scale. The floods have inundated several villages, including Kedichuk in Jonai subdivision. Waterlogging on National Highway 515 (NH-515) in the Leku area has left hundreds of vehicles stranded. As a result, road connectivity between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh has been completely cut off, causing significant inconvenience to commuters and local residents.
According to an official statement issued by the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), train services between Archipathar and Simen Chapari stations have been suspended following more than 110 mm of rainfall in Dhemaji district of Assam, which led to flooding and bank erosion affecting a railway bridge.
Earlier, a 300-meter-long iron bridge connecting Kemi and Oyan was also washed away by raging floodwaters in the Kemi River, completely severing connectivity between the Kemi-Purana Jelom area and Jonai Sadar. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)