Incessant Rains Throw Life out of Gear in Arunachal Pradesh

Our Correspondent

Itanagar: Incessant rain in the past couple of days has thrown life out of gear in Arunachal Pradesh with several districts of the State witnessing landslides and flood-like situation.

The State capital alone in the past 36 hours recorded rainfall of 119.4 mm, even as the Met Department has predicted moderate to heavy rainfall accompanied by thundershower for the next few days in the Himalayan State.

Despite the continuous downpour, Arunachal Pradesh is reeling under deficit rainfall of 33 percent. Fifty percent of the districts in the State have deficit rainfall of more than 40 percent, according to data in the Met Department website.

Torrential rain also triggered landslides in various places in Itanagar while the commuters in the state capital are facing a tough time while traveling through the NH 415, widening works of which are going on, with reports of many vehicles are being stuck up in the mud.

Continuous rain in the last couple of days has severely disrupted surface communication in various parts of West Siang district.

According to the official report, five meters span of an RCC culvert situated at a distance of two kilometers from Aalo, the district headquarters, had been completely washed away. The RK Mission School situated at Aalo-Likabali road is cut off from the rest of the township.

Though restoration of the culvert is going on in full swing under the supervision of assistant engineer Gemar Padu, permanent restoration might take two to three months, the report said.

The Aalo-Pangin and Pasighat road is also facing the havoc of landslide at the different location following which the commuters were stranded for nearly six hours on Sunday.

The newly constructed highway is reportedly sinking with deep cracks occurred at different portions near Renging in East Siang district, the report said.

Another report from East Siang district stated that erosion by the Siang river is posing a serious threat to human habitations and bridges along the Mebo-Dhola road in Mebo subdivision of the district.

While the river has already swallowed several acres of fertile cropland in Motum on its left bank, it is gradually approaching Borguly and Serum villages.

At least five eastern districts of the state have been reeling under acute power shortage, even as the power department is making efforts to restore electricity in the affected areas.

The affected districts are East Siang, Lower Dibang Valley, Dibang Valley, Namsai and Lohit, power department sources said.

Electricity supply to these districts remain snapped after a 132 kV power transmission line tower collapsed in Babuk village, in East Siang district on July 17 last due to landslides.

Also Read: Flood Situation Remains Grim in Arunachal Pradesh