ITANAGAR, 29 Jun: Heavy monsoon rains continued to wreak havoc across Arunachal Pradesh on Monday, disrupting normal life in at least 12 districts as floods and landslides damaged infrastructure, cut off villages, and triggered large-scale rescue operations, officials said.
In Lower Dibang Valley district, four people stranded on an island in the Sisiri River in Dambuk were rescued by an Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter.
Heavy rainfall has also severely damaged the Roing-Anini road in Lower Dibang Valley district, with flash floods washing away roads and bridges at several locations.
In Anjaw district, an excavator operator was feared dead after a massive rock crushed the vehicle engaged in highway construction near Sarti village on Sunday night.
Rescue operations were suspended overnight due to poor visibility and the risk of further rockfalls before resuming early Monday.
Police from the Walong outpost and Hawai police station are assisting in the operation, while the affected road has been closed to traffic until debris clearance is completed.
The operator’s condition was yet to be officially confirmed.
In East Siang, eight major road stretches remained blocked, leaving Yagrung, Tekang and Sibut villages cut off from Pasighat.
A cloudburst triggered flash floods in Ledum and Korang villages in Ruksin subdivision, damaging 11 houses, submerging three others and causing the collapse of the Rema Bridge, besides damaging the Bokrang Bridge, officials said.
Rescue teams comprising the SDRF, district administration and local volunteers rescued 40 people from flood-hit areas and shifted affected families to safer locations.
The district administration has activated relief camps and emergency operation centres, mobilised multiple agencies for restoration work, and ordered the closure of all schools till Tuesday in view of the IMD’s red alert.
Of the 11 major roads hit, only two have been reopened, while nine, including the Pasighat-Pangin, Pasighat-Mariyang-Yingkiong, Pasighat-Mebo-Dambuk-Bomjir, Bilat-Ledum and Pasighat-Yagrung-Ledum-Tene roads, remain blocked or unsafe.
The left-side approach to Letong Bridge on the Pasighat-Runne-Takilalung road has been washed away, while roads near Balek Secondary School, Ranaghat Bridge and the Poglek River crossing remain impassable, an official report said.
Floodwaters also inundated at least 10 houses in Ledum after the river changed its course due to continuous rainfall.
One house was almost completely submerged, two cattle were swept away, while a community toilet and a rice mill were on the verge of submergence. Three shops were also damaged.
Around 12 families were shifted to safer places, with the displaced taking shelter at relatives’ houses, while a community dere (prayer hall) has been designated as a relief shelter.
No casualties or missing persons have been reported, though a vital bridge collapsed, disrupting connectivity.
In Lower Siang district, a massive landslide at Siji blocked the flow of the Siji River near the Likabali checkpost between Siji and Magi, causing water to accumulate upstream.
A biker had a miraculous escape after being swept down a slope along with his motorcycle when a landslide struck the area, officials said.
Authorities warned of possible danger to downstream areas and deployed police personnel to alert riverside residents to move to safer locations.
Officials later said the river resumed its normal flow on Monday morning after the ponded water receded.
Leparada district also witnessed widespread damage as flash floods, overflowing rivers and landslides affected several areas.
Chisi and Padi villages in Dari circle were among the worst hit, with floodwaters carrying boulders, logs and debris onto roads, severely disrupting traffic.
Landslides blocked roads at Jime village and along the Zirdo-Dari stretch, while the swollen Ego River inundated the Ego Bridge.
In Basar circle, the Kidi River flowed above the danger level, flooding nearby paddy fields and posing a threat to riverside houses.
Landslides were also reported in Sago circle due to road cutting and poor drainage, while Tirbin circle reported only minor damage.
Meanwhile, search operations entered the sixth day on Monday for two persons still missing in the flash flood that struck Keyi Panyor district last Wednesday.
The death toll rose to three after the body of Saurabh Kumar Kharwar was recovered near Hawa Camp in adjoining Papum Pare district on Sunday.
Earlier, the bodies of a 35-year-old woman and another woman were recovered on Wednesday and Saturday, respectively.
Five people had gone missing after the flash flood devastated the NEEPCO Colony in Poosa, damaging houses, roads and triggering landslides. Preliminary estimates indicate that around 30 houses were completely damaged or washed away in the colony, while another 10 houses were destroyed and 14 partially damaged in the Possa and Pitapool areas.
Altogether, 128 households have been affected, with 60 displaced people currently staying at a relief camp on the NEEPCO campus.
According to officials, the rain fury has so far affected Keyi Panyor, Papum Pare, Kra Daadi, Kurung Kumey, Lower Subansiri, Kamle, Upper Subansiri, East Siang, Leparada, Lower Siang, Lower Dibang Valley and Anjaw districts.
Relief and rescue operations have been intensified across the affected areas.
Our correspondent adds: Flash floods caused by heavy showers in East Siang district on Sunday triggered heavy devastation.
The surging water of the Sibo Korong at Pasighat eroded a portion of the entry road to lower Sibo-Siang Colony on its right bank.
Overflowing water of the Poglek and Sille Rivers in the Pasighat West area inundated paddy fields in Yagrung, Rani, Sika-Tode and Linka villages. It also inundated human habitations at Linka and Adi Leku villages, filled fish ponds, and washed away many domestic animals.
Floodwater was flowing on National Highway 515 at Sika-Tode and Adi Leku portions, and disrupted road communication between Ruksin and Pasighat for several hours.
Overflowing water of the Sille River also submerged a large portion of the Poba reserve forest under Ruksin range and damaged new plantations. The swelling river is also posing serious erosion on its left side, eroding standing trees and bushes near Tinmail beat office.
As per reports, heavy and torrential rain in the region caused massive landslides at different portions of the Pasighat-Pangin highway and Pasighat-Mariyang highway, and snapped road communication.
The highway authority has engaged men and machines to clear the roadblocks, but major portions are yet to be cleared.
However, no loss of human life has been reported so far.
Report from Dambuk reveals that nine persons,including a gaon bura, were reported stranded in flood water caused by the Sissiri River on Sunday.
The district administration of Lower Dibang Valley,with the help of local MLA Punyo Apum, hired IAF choppers for rescue operation, and all of them were safely rescued on Monday morning.
Meanwhile, following the devastating cloudburst and flash flood triggered by continuous heavy rainfall on 24 June, Papum Pare Deputy Commissioner Lobsang Tsering, under the direction of Sagalee MLA Ratu Techi, instructed the district administration to immediately conduct a comprehensive ground assessment of all affected areas to evaluate the extent of damage and expedite relief, restoration, and rehabilitation efforts.
Acting on the directions of the deputy commissioner, Sagalee ADC Kipa Raja led a multi-departmental team on an extensive field inspection across the worst-affected areas in Toru circle, including Luksing village and Dakte-Hoj panchayat.
The inspection team comprised officials from the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), PWD Executive Engineer Nabam Takar, RWD Executive Engineer Techi Totu, PHE Executive Engineer Debia Padang, officers from the Agriculture Department, Toru ZPM Tana Tama, the circle officer of Toru, GPCs and GPMs of Dakte-Hoj panchayat, HoDs, personnel from Sagalee police, and local GBs.
During the inspection at Luksing village, the team witnessed extensive destruction caused by flash flood and overflowing streams. Large portions of paddy fields and cultivated agricultural land have either been washed away or buried under mud and debris, causing severe losses to farmers and affecting their livelihoods.
The officials also inspected the hanging bridge, the only access route connecting villagers to their agricultural fields. The bridge has been completely washed away by the swollen river, cutting off access to farmlands and bringing farming activities to a halt.
The team later visited Dakte-Hoj panchayat, where several road stretches from Hoj to Keyi Panyor and up to the Papum Pare district boundary have suffered extensive damages due to landslides, erosion, and flash flood. Multiple road sections are either washed away or blocked, disrupting transportation, isolating villages, and hampering the movement of emergency services and essential supplies.
Special attention was given to Yabi village, where road connectivity has been completely severed. The village also remains without electricity after floodwaters severely damaged power infrastructure, adding to the hardships faced by residents.
MLA Techi gave assurance that essential relief materials, including food items and ration supplies, would reach the affected villages. He has been continuously monitoring the situation and coordinating with the district administration and all departments concerned to ensure that timely assistance reaches every affected family.
Officials from the PWD, RWD, PHE, DDMA, the Agriculture Department, and other departments concerned carried out detailed assessments of damaged roads, drinking water supply systems, public infrastructure, agricultural land, and other essential facilities to determine immediate restoration priorities and long-term rehabilitation requirements.
Following the field inspection, the district administration, under the supervision of the DC and ADC Raja, prepared a comprehensive damage assessment report covering Luksing village and Dakte-Hoj panchayat. The report will be submitted to the competent authorities to facilitate immediate relief assistance, restoration of damaged infrastructure, and long-term rehabilitation measures.
The district administration has assured that restoration works, relief operations, and rehabilitation efforts “will continue on a priority basis” until normalcy is fully restored, while reaffirming its commitment to providing every possible assistance to the flood-affected communities. (With PTI input)
