Monsoon fury batters Arunachal Pradesh; IAF rescues stranded people

OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: Heavy monsoon rains continued to wreak havoc across Arunachal Pradesh on Monday, with rescue operations underway in several districts as floods and landslides damaged roads, bridges and houses, claimed lives and disrupted connectivity across at least 12 districts.

According to officials, the rain fury has so far affected Keyi Panyor, Papum Pare, Kra Daadi, Kurung Kumey, Lower Subansiri, Kamle, Upper Subansiri, East Siang, Leparada, Lower Siang, Lower Dibang Valley and Anjaw districts.

In the Lower Dibang Valley district, four people stranded on an island in the Sisiri River in the Dambuk area were rescued by an Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter on Monday.

Heavy rainfall has also severely damaged the Roing-Anini road in Lower Dibang Valley district, with flash floods washing away roads and bridges at several locations.

In Anjaw district, an excavator operator was feared dead after a massive rock crushed the vehicle engaged in highway construction near Sarti village, towards Walong, on Sunday night.

Rescue operations were suspended overnight due to poor visibility and the risk of further rockfalls before resuming early Monday.

Police from the Walong Outpost and Hawai Police Station are assisting in the operation, while the affected road has been closed to traffic until debris clearance is completed.

In East Siang, eight major road stretches remained blocked, leaving Yagrung, Tekang and Sibut villages cut off from Pasighat.

A cloudburst triggered flash floods in Ledum and Korang villages under the Ruksin subdivision, damaging 11 houses, submerging three others and causing the collapse of the Rema Bridge besides damaging the Bokrang Bridge, officials said.

Rescue teams comprising the SDRF, district administration and local volunteers rescued 40 people from flood-hit areas and shifted affected families to safer locations. The district administration has activated relief camps and emergency operation centres, mobilised multiple agencies for restoration work and ordered the closure of all government and private schools from Monday to Tuesday in view of the IMD’s red alert.

Of the 11 major roads hit, only two have been reopened, while nine, including the Pasighat-Pangin, Pasighat-Mariyang-Yingkiong, Pasighat-Mebo-Dambuk-Bomjir, Bilat-Ledum and Pasighat-Yagrung-Ledum-Tene roads, remain blocked or unsafe.

The left-side approach to Letong Bridge on the Pasighat-Runne-Takilalung road has been washed away, while roads near Balek Secondary School, Ranaghat Bridge and the Poglek River crossing remain impassable, an official report said.

Floodwaters also inundated at least 10 houses in the Ledum area after the river changed its course due to continuous rainfall.

One house was almost completely submerged; two cattle were swept away, while a community toilet and a rice mill were on the verge of submergence. Three shops were also damaged.

Around 12 families were shifted to safer places, with the displaced taking shelter at relatives’ houses, while a community deré (prayer hall) has been designated as a relief shelter.

No casualties or missing persons have been reported, though a vital bridge collapsed, disrupting connectivity.

In Lower Siang district, a massive landslide at Siji blocked the flow of the Siji River near the Likabali checkpost between Siji and Magi, causing water to accumulate upstream.

A biker had a miraculous escape after being swept down a slope along with his motorcycle when a landslide struck the area, officials said.

Authorities warned of possible danger to downstream areas and deployed police personnel to alert riverside residents to move to safer locations.

The Leparada district also witnessed widespread damage as flash floods, overflowing rivers and landslides affected several areas.

Chisi and Padi villages in the Dari circle were among the worst hit, with floodwaters carrying boulders, logs and debris onto roads, severely disrupting traffic. Landslides blocked roads at Jime village and along the Zirdo-Dari stretch, while the swollen Ego River inundated the Ego Bridge.

In Basar circle, the Kidi River flowed above the danger level, flooding nearby paddy fields and posing a threat to riverside houses. Landslides were also reported in Sago Circle due to road cutting and poor drainage, while Tirbin Circle reported only minor damage.

Meanwhile, search operations entered the sixth day on Monday for two persons still missing in the flash flood that struck the Keyi Panyor district last Wednesday.

The death toll rose to three after the body of Saurabh Kumar Kharwar was recovered near Hawa Camp in adjoining Papum Pare district on Sunday.

The India Meteorological Department has forecast more heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning over East Siang and neighbouring districts, including Leparada, Lower Siang, Lower Subansiri and Papum Pare.

Authorities have urged people to avoid travelling through landslide-prone and flood-affected areas unless absolutely necessary and to follow official advisories until the weather improves.

Also Read: Arunachal: Search suspended for four missing after Keyi Panyor flash flood