Flood caused by Ranganadi washes away two bamboo bridges, over 5,000 people affected
A CORRESPONDENT
LAKHIMPUR: Due to the impact of Cyclone Sitrang, incessant rain continues in the districts of North Assam along with the neighbouring state of Arunachal Pradesh. As a result, water levels of almost all the rivers under the Lakhimpur district, including Brahmaputra, Subansiri, Ranganadi Dikrong, have been increasing since then.
Simultaneously, water level of the catchment area of the 450 MW Ranganadi Hydro Electric Plant (RHEP), located at Yazali of Arunachal Pradesh, has also been increasing alarmingly. As a result of it, RHEP operating company NEEPCO has been continuously releasing the excess water from the catchment area of the hydro-electric plant since 6:50 am Tuesday.
On Tuesday, NEEPCO released the excess water from the catchment area of the RHEP by opening the Radial Gate No. 4 by 300mm from 6:50 am, then by 500mm from 7:00 am, by 1000mm from 7:30 am, by 1200mm from 8:15 am, by 1500mm from 9:30 am, by 2000mm from 4:30 pm, by 2200mm from 7:30 pm, by 2500mm from 8:00 pm and 2300mm from 12:am. Due to the release of the excess water from the RHEP, River Ranganadi began to overflow in the downstream and massive surge of the river on Tuesday night washed away two bamboo-wooden bridges, having capacity to bear the weight of small to big four-wheelers at Phatasuti Ghat in the Kharkati area under North Lakhimpur Revenue Circle. These two bridges, constructed by the public, helped the people living in the greater part of the southern Lakhimpur in making communication with other places. Moreover, the overflowing water of the river inundated the residential houses of several families in Panchnoi area under Naoboicha Revenue Circle too. At present, the flood caused by the river, due to release of the excess water from the catchment area of the RHEP, has inundated extensive areas under Amtola, Kharkati and Pabha Reserve Forest under North Lakhimpur Revenue Circle and Borgoyan Miri under Naoboicha Revenue Circle.
On Wednesday, NEEPCO released the additional water from the RHEP by opening the Radial Gate No. 4 by 1600mm from 4:30 am, by 1300mm from 6:20 am, by 1000mm 6:30 am, by 1600mm from 10:00 am. To release the additional water from the RHEP, the same gate has been opened by 1400mm since 2:30 pm till the filing of this report. Excess water from the catchment area of the Pare Hydro Electric Project (PHEP), located at Doinukh of Arunachal Pradesh, has also been released since Tuesday morning through River Dikrong under the Lakhimpur district. The overflowing water of the river has also inundated several areas in the downstream.
The present, unseasonal deluge of the River Ranganadi, created by NEEPCO and RHEP, has affected more than 5,000 people and several hundred hectares of crop area under North Lakhimpur and Naoboicha Revenue Circles.
On the other hand, River Subansiri, the largest tributary of the mighty Brahmaputra, continues massive erosion in the Haridas area under Kadam Revenue Circle. Notably, the set-up of the 2000 MW Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project (SLHP) at Gerukamukh of Dhemaji district has changed the character of the River Subansiri due to which the river continues tremendous devastation through erosion at different places in the downstream of it course under Lakhimpur and Majuli districts.
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