Flood, landslides in Arunachal Pradesh

Itanagar, Aug 17: Incessant rains in the past couple of days have triggered floods and landslides in several districts of Arunachal Pradesh, disrupting road communication and throwing normal life out of gear.

PWD(Highway) chief engineer Hage Appa said today that landslides triggered by heavy rains on August 15 disrupted surface communication between Itanagar and Naharlagun and washed away road and culverts at sinking zone near Karsingsa. The road communication between Banderdewa and Itanagar via Karsingsa remained disrupted for the third day today as a result.

The road currently is closed for all types of vehicles, he said in a release. The district administration has asked the people to use Nirjuli-Doimukh-Harmuty road and Itanagar-Hollongi road to take NH-52 in Assam as the road restoration work between Naharlagun and Banderdewa may take two days to complete.

The Kimin-Ziro road too is blocked since Thursday due to massive landslides, some of which have been cleared, he said. Landslides have also occurred at Chandranagar, Nitivihar and many sectors in the capital complex here. Two children of a family were killed and another boy injured when a retention wall of BSNL fell over their dwelling at C Sector area here during landslide on August 15 midnight.

Supply of drinking water in Itanagar and Naharlagun, including Nirjuli has been disrupted because of damage to water supply pipelines, Appa said, adding the main water supply pipeline of Donyi Polo School was damaged last night. The PHED department is working round-the-clock to repair the damaged pipe lines and restore water supply which may take 3-4 days, department sources said.

The flood situation in worst affected Lohit district remained grim as a fresh wave of flood submerged agricultural land and human habitation in the district. An official report from the district said the water level of Lohit and Digaru rivers was above the danger mark and ferry services at Alubari had been suspended.

The Tezu-Parasuramkund road blocked for past few days due to landslips and floods, however, re-opened yesterday for small and light vehicles.

A report from Lower Dibang Valley district said at least 200 families of Paglam village were displaced by flooding of Dotung river on August 12.

"The affected families are taking shelter on the PWD road," Dambuk Additional District Commissioner Atul Tayeng said, adding they cannot be reached as road connectivity to the area was cut off on all sides.

The district administration has provided 30 quintals of rice from its monsoon stock to flood victims, he added. District commissioner Shiv Kumar has constituted a team of officers who will visit Paglam as soon as the road connectivity is restored.

He has also directed officers of Dambuk and Paglam circles to return to their places of posting latest by Tuesday. Sine river in Dambuk is flowing above the danger level and very close to houses in Remi village, the reports said.

Power supply in East Kameng district was disrupted after the feeder channel of Pacha hydel was severely damaged by landslide on August 15. Hydro power department’s executive engineer Ojing Nobeng in a release said the landslide damaged 100 m of the feeder channel.

"It will take at least two months to restore the channel in normal weather condition. But it may take more time if rain fall continues within the course of restoration work and water level does not recede," he said and sought immediate release of funds for the work.

PTI