Life limps back to normal in Itanagar

ITANAGAR: With the improvement in weather conditions, life was limping back to normal in the Arunachal capital on Thursday though heavy vehicles were still not plying along the arterial NH 52A.

Water, electricity and telecommunications were being partially restored in the state capital, still reeling under the landslides on June 14 taking a toll of 17 lives, official sources said.

Earth movers and other tools were pressed into service to clear the debris, while heavy vehicles were still not plying along the highway, breached at several points, sources said.

Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu was on a visit to the flood affected areas of his home district Tawang where several parts were inundated.

Meanwhile, government spokesman Tako Dabi on Thursday denied media reports that dams of Ranganadi Hydro project breached causing havoc in neibouring Lakhimpur district in Assam.

There are some breaches in the embankments of rivers originating in Arunachal but no hydropower dam has burst to cause havoc in Assam, Dabi said adding such floods occur every year in Assam whenever Arunachal hills receive rainfall in torrents.

He said Arunachal and Assam should jointly move the Centre to have some national flood control project in the area.

Turning to the compensation of those affected in June 14 landslide, he said a sum of Rs 82 lakh has been given in this regard.

Official sources said next of kin of the deceased were paid Rs one lakh each and each injured upto Rs 50,000.

Persons, whose houses got damaged, also received the compensation.