Arunachal Pradesh: Flash floods claim one life, four missing, six districts cut off
Heavy rainfall triggered flash floods and landslides in six districts of Arunachal Pradesh, resulting in one death and four people missing, officials said on Wednesday.
The flash floods occurred following a long burst of heavy rainfall during the night of June 23 and 24, affecting areas near the NEEPCO project site in Keyi Panyor district's Yazali Circle. About 50 houses in the area were damaged.
Keyi Panyor Superintendent of Police Angad Mehta confirmed that the body of 35-year-old Nirmala Gupta, a teacher at NEEPCO's Vivekananda Kendriya Vidyalaya, was recovered after hours of search. Rescue operations with inflatable crafts are set to continue on Thursday, and the Indian Air Force conducted sorties to assess damage and locate survivors.
The district police stated that the disruptions cut off large parts of Keyi Panyor along with five other districts: Kamle, Kra Daadi, Kurung Kumey, Lower Subansiri, and Upper Subansiri. A strategic bridge connecting East Kameng and Pakke Kessang districts was also damaged. Personnel from the Border Roads Organisation and the Highway Department are working to restore connectivity.
Rescue teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), police, and local volunteers are searching for the five missing persons, including a 13-year-old. District police and SDRF rescued one person from the Yazali reservoir and a Geological Survey of India scientist from a highway stretch.
Chief Minister Pema Khandu expressed concern and directed officials across all 28 districts to be prepared for monsoon-related challenges. “We cannot control nature, but disaster preparedness is a critical priority as Arunachal Pradesh receives heavy rainfall during the monsoon period,” he said, urging public cooperation.
In Assam, the government issued a high alert for districts downstream of the affected areas, warning of rising water levels in the Brahmaputra and its tributaries. Keyi Panyor recorded 72.8 mm of rainfall between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. on Wednesday. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the situation is being monitored at the highest level, and district administrations have been asked to maintain vigilance and take preventive measures. Citizens in high-risk districts were advised to avoid inundated areas and refrain from using small vessels on rivers due to increased currents.
Assam State Disaster Management Authority reported that floods affected 102 villages across seven districts, damaging standing crops on 2,647.343 hectares of land. Relief centres have been opened for over 5,600 affected people, with 184 individuals taking shelter in nine relief camps.
