Arunachal Pradesh floods: Incessant rains trigger flash floods, landslides

Incessant rains and an unprecedented rise in the water level of the Subansiri have triggered landslides and flash floods in Arunachal Pradesh with the swirling river water leaving a trail of destruction. The Subansiri river recorded an unprecedented rise in the water level at Daporijo in Upper Subansiri district on Thursday night.

"The water level of the river rose between 6-7 feet on Thursday night but receded Friday morning," Upper Subansiri DC T Tagu said. District Information and Public Relation Officer (DIPRO) N Namchoom said that the flood water from the Subansiri submerged the villages located on its banks, damaging over 200 dwellings and washing away livestock. There was, however, no human casualty, she said.

The affected areas include, Sikarijo, Pagarijo, Laila Majnu Colony and Dilidi village in Daporijo, Sippi, Menga, Kuporijo, Dumporijo and other areas. Daporijo MLA Dikto Yekar along with panchayat members personally surveyed the devastation caused by the flash flood at Sikarijo, Pagarijo, Laila Majnu Colony, Dilidi village, Sippi and Menga today. He said that it was the first time that the Subansiri had risen to such a level in the area.

Pasighat DIPRO said that landslides triggered by torrential rain have snapped road communication in Pasighat. 

The Pasighat-Pangin and Pasighat-Mariyang roads remained cut off for the past few days due to massive landslides triggered by continuous rain since early this week, PWD (highways) sources said.

Restoration of the Pasighat-Mariyang road was on but continuous downpour was hampering work and it could take two to three days, the sources said.

Upper Siang district remained cut off from the rest of the state due to road disruption at several points following incessant rain. West Kameng DIPRO said that the newly constructed Orang- Kalaktang-Shergaon-Rupa-Tenga road was breached and washed away at several locations due to continuous downpour since August 14 last.

Upper Subansiri DIPRO spoke to Tagom Yekar, who runs a tourist Lodge at Sikarijo. Yekar said it all happened very suddenly at about 2 AM. At first they heard the sound of the gushing water and within 10 minutes the water rose about 10 feet high, flooding their house and washing away their belongings. They escaped as they could swiftly shift to a higher place.

Tajum Batak who stays nearby had a similar experience. He and his family too were sleeping when the water came gushing in and they could escape by drilling a hole in the bamboo walls of their home, the DIPRO said.

Sippi bore the brunt of the disaster with inundated houses, livestock and belongings swept away, rice fields flooded and bamboo groves uprooted.

At the Dhulaam Raji Memorial Public School at Sippi, the rains flooded the buildings up to 6 feet mark. The school had 72 boarders who were 5 to 12 years old. The students were evacuated on foot to a Batem village nearby, the DIPRO said.

The wet and muddy classroom with scattered books, upturned furniture and logs and clothes strewn in the hostel dormitories are a silent reminder, she said.