Flash floods in Northeast states, Mizoram worst hit

Aizawl: Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla on Wednesday set up a high-level committee chaired by state Home minister R Lalzirliana to assess the flood situation in the state where eight persons have died.

Several other north eastern states are taking stock of the situation following incessant rains since the last three days, which has triggered flash floods and landslides.

Lal Thanhawla said other members of the panel will be state Finance minister Lalsawta, Disaster Management minister C Ngurlianchunga and representatives of NGOs.

The swollen Khawthlangtuipui river has submerged over 350 houses in Tlabung sub-division in Lunglei where eight persons died after flash floods caused by heavy rainfall wrecked havoc yesterday.

Disaster Management and Rehabilitation department officials estimated that over 2,000 families were affected by the floods.

The chief minister said the government has been collecting detailed information from all districts and is yet to receive a full report due to snag in communication lines.

The whole of south Mizoram - Serchhip, Lunglei, Lawngtlai and Siaha districts and eastern Champhai district bordering Myanmar remained cut off from the rest of the country for the third day today due landslides at many places.

Landslides at several places in Aizawl city prompted the state government authorities to evacuate over 50 buildings and shift around 100 families to safer places.

Around 10 buildings have submerged in the swelling waters of the Tlawng river.

Power supply lines have snapped and telecommunication network remained disrupted in the state capital due to landslides and heavy rains.

In Assam, the districts of Lakhimpur, Darrang and Hailakandi have been hit by floods affecting nearly 14,000 people in 39 villages there, a report from the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) stated today.

Over 400 hectares of farmland with standing crops have been inundated due to incessant rains in the three districts.

In Hailakandi district, two breaches in embankments have occurred in Rajeswarpur Part I and VII due to the rising waters of Katakhal river, while the Sunacherra-Rupacherra road has been closed as swelling waters of the Dhaleswari river have submerging it, the ASDMA report said.

The SDRF has pressed 10 boats to rescue 400 marooned people from there, the report said, adding that relief materials have been distributed among the flood-affected people.

In Guwahati, a day after three persons died due to electrocution and drowning after heavy rains lashed the city, the Kamrup Metropolitan District Magistrate ordered probe into the deaths.

The district administration has declared a compensation of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of the deceased, an official release today said.

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal directed the district administration, GMC, water resources department, PWD and other agencies to take prompt action.

The release said more than 2,000 people were affected due to landslides and waterlogging in the city and the SDRF has evacuated about 500 people.

In Arunachal Pradesh, incessant rains over the past few days have thrown life out of gear with water level of all major rivers and their tributaries rising.

The MeT office here has predicted more rains in the state in the coming days.

In Meghalaya, a Disaster Management Authority official said all districts have been alerted following a warning from the MeT department about heavy rains in the state.