Heavy rainfall lashes Assam and Meghalaya, triggers damage in several areas

Assam and Meghalaya rains: A bridge collapsed in the Subankhata area of Assam's Baksa district due to heavy rains. The water level of the Borolia, Pagladiya, and Motonga rivers has overflown and submerged many villages, affecting over 20,000 people.

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Baksa/East Jaintia Hills: Heavy downpour triggered damage in several parts of Assam and Meghalaya on Thursday morning leading to traffic disruption. The flood situation in Assam`s Tamulpur district has worsened after new areas in the district have been inundated by flood waters of several rivers today. In Assam, a portion of a bridge collapsed in the Subankhata area of the Baksa district on June 15 as a result of incessant rainfall and a rise in the water level of the Dihing River. Following incessant rains, the water level of Borolia, Pagladiya, and Motonga rivers has overflown and submerged many villages affecting more than 20,000 people.

According to the district administration, several villages of the district including Hahakata, Balabari, Dwarkuchi, Chapatol, Cholikonda, Guwakuchi Niz-Defeli, and Kekrikuchi are currently under water and the district administration, SDRF teams are engaged in rescue operations. Many villages have moved to safer places to take shelter after their houses were inundated by flood waters.

 A flood-affected person of Hahkata village said that the embankment near the Balabari area was breached by flood waters this year also. "The state Water Resources department minister had earlier visited the area, but strengthen work of the embankment was not done properly. We are now facing massive problems," the flood-affected person said.

According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), nearly 75,000 people in 18 districts of the state have been affected by the current wave of flood till June 15. The ASDMA flood report stated that, till June 15, 314 villages under 37 revenue circles have been affected by the deluge and flood waters have submerged 1731.18 hectares of cropland.

Meanwhile, due to an unrelenting heavy downpour, some parts of the road on National Highway-6 under Lumshnong Police Station limits got heavily damaged, leading to traffic disruption in the East Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya.