Flood situation in Arunachal improves; drinking water crisis in Itanagar

Itanagar: The flood situation in Arunachal Pradesh improved on Saturday with water levels of most rivers receding, even as 33,000 people in 24 districts remained affected, officials said.

Twelve people lost their lives and one person went missing in rain-related incidents, including landslides, after the monsoon set in, they said.

In its daily report, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said 33,200 people in 215 villages remained affected due to floods and landslides in the state.

The water levels of most major rivers and their tributaries were showing a receding trend over the last 24 hours, it said.

Altogether, 515 houses were damaged across the state, and 432 livestock deaths were reported, it added.

As many as 112 roads and 17 bridges were damaged in the state. The floods also affected 51 water supply projects, 17 power transmission lines and eight hydro projects, the SEOC said.

Changlang is the worst-affected district, with six villages inundated and 2,231 people rendered homeless.

Flash floods washed away the Makantong bridge on the Trans Arunachal Highway, disrupting connectivity between Miao and Bordumsa. The authorities have decided to start ferry services for the locals there.

The Noa-Dehing river has damaged farmland in the Dharmapur block in the Namphai circle.

The water supply projects in Changlang town, Namtok extra assistant commissioner headquarters, Yatdam circle, Phinbiro-I and II villages and Rang Hill village were damaged by landslides, leading to a drinking water crisis.

Additionally, floods and landslides damaged around 17 hectares of farmland and 20 hectares of horticulture plantations in the district.

Three hanging bridges at Phaparbari, Two Hut and Lama Camp were also damaged by flood in district. A bailey bridge at 60 Mile between Miao and Vijaynagar was also damaged.

In the Upper Siang district, the Sirnyuk hydropower project in Jengging was damaged due to severe rainfall.

In the Itanagar Capital Region, landslides damaged pipelines of the Poma water supply project, causing a drinking water crisis. The restoration process would take about several days, officials said, adding that water tankers were being arranged.

Three relief camps have been set up in the state, and 239 people are taking shelter there, they said.

Relief and rescue efforts were underway with support from the NDRF, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), police and local volunteers.