Landslides in Arunachal Pradesh district due to incessant rains

Landslides, triggered by incessant rains in the past couple of days have wrecked havoc in several districts of Arunachal Pradesh throwing life out of gear.

While flood-like situation prevails in low-lying areas of various districts, road link between Nirjuli and Banderdewa near here has been snapped due to damage of several culverts along the NH 52(A), the life line for the state capital, official sources said. PWD Superintendent Engineer (Highway-Western Zone) Jumo Geiyi said the stretch of the higway between Nirjuli and Banderdewa has been temporarily closed due to damage to culverts in several places by incessant rain on the night of June 26.

As a result traffic was being diverted through Harmutty-Doimukh-Nirjuli road instead of the usual route through Karsingsa. Besides, about 20 m of NH 52(A) has been damaged at Karsingsa, besides Naharlagun, where portions of it have caved in, he said. More damage to the road, which has been breached near North East Regional Institute of Science and Technology at Nirjuli, is apprehended should the rains continue, official sources said.

An official report from Lohit district said flood-like situation was reported in several low lying areas there with all major rivers and their tributaries in high spate. There has been torrential rains for the past few days at Khonsa and its peripheral areas in Tirap district which washed away roads, district information and public relation officer D Bosai said. 

The main road from Khonsa to Longding, which is the lifeline for Tirap and Longding districts, was blocked for the past few days due to a massive landslide near Sweet Fall, he said. The landslips have damaged a number of buildings belonging to the government departments and individuals and are on the verge of collapse, the DIPRO said adding the roads are inundated as the drains have been blocked causing hardship to the people.

Tirap deputy commissioner Kamlesh Kumar Joshi is personally supervising the renovation work at the affected places, he added.