Rain creates flood-like situation in Arunachal, communication disrupted

OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: Incessant downpour for the past three days has thrown life out of gear in several districts of Arunachal Pradesh disrupting surface communication and creating flood-like situation.

Continuous rainfall for the last three days had inundated wet rice cultivation (WRC) fields at several locations in and around Ziro Valley in Lower Subansiri district.

The WRC fields along the river beds near Mudang Tage tri-junction, Tajang, Dutta and Hija villages were the worst affected. The fingerlings released in the paddy fields recently by the fisheries department have been feared to be washed away by the overflowing Kley River. Sub Divisional Officer (SDO) B Tawsik along with Circle Officer (CO) Khoda Jalyang, District Disaster Management Officer (DDMO) Nima Drema, District Fishery Development Officer (DFDO) and District Agriculture Officer (DAO) surveyed the damage caused by the rainfall, official sources from Ziro informed.

The district administration has cautioned the people not to go for fishing in the Kley River.

A report from East Siang district stated that due to continuous downpour, the water level of the mighty Siang river is rising prompting the district administration to issue advisory to the people not to venture in the river for fishing and other activities.

Reports from East Kameng, Namsai and Lohit district disclosed that incessant rains in the past few days has triggered a flood like situation in the districts as many major rivers and their tributaries are swelling up.

Continuous downpour in the past few days have triggered landslides and washed away several portions of the vital Balipara-Charduar-Tawang (BCT) road at several stretches, disrupting surface communication to East Kameng, West Kameng and Tawang districts.

The BCT road is the lifeline of the three districts besides serving as a communication link to the Indo-China frontier through Tawang.

Heavy rainfall has triggered multiple landslides and washing away portions of the BCT roads in between Bhalukpong check gate and West Kameng district headquarters Bomdila. The power supply to the district has also been severely affected, a government official from the district said.

West Kameng district administration has ordered closure of the BCT road till restoration process is over and directed for using the Orang-Kalaktang-Shergaon-Rupa-Tenga (OKSRT) road for ferrying returnees from outside the state to the district and Tawang.