Flood situation grim in Northeast as toll rises to 34; HM Shah talks to CMs

Guwahati, June 1 (IANS) The overall flood situation in the northeastern states remained grim with the death toll in six states of the region rising to 34, an official said on Sunday. Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a telephonic conversation with the Chief Ministers of Assam (Himanta Biswa Sarma), Arunachal Pradesh (Pema Khandu) and Sikkim (Prem Singh Tamang) and Manipur Governor (Ajay Kumar Bhalla) and inquired about the flood situation.

The Home Minister also assured of the Central government’s help to the flood affected states. In a post on X, HM Shah said : “Spoke with the Chief Ministers of Assam, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh and Governor of Manipur in the wake of ongoing heavy rainfall in their states. Also assured them of every possible help to tackle any situation. The Modi government stands like a rock in support of the people of the Northeast.”

According to the officials of different northeastern states, out of 34 deaths during the current spell of rain and floods since May 29, at least 10 people were killed in Assam, followed by nine in Arunachal Pradesh, six each in Meghalaya and Mizoram, two in Tripura and one in Nagaland.

Disaster management officials of the northeastern states said that the deaths were reported due to drowning, landslides and waterlogging.

In Assam, according to the report of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) over 3.64 lakh people were affected by the floods and rains in 19 districts.

The ASDMA report said that over 3,524.38 hectares of crop lands were affected in 764 villages under 19 districts.

In Tripura, over 10,600 flood-affected people comprising 2,800 families took shelter in 60 relief camps in four of the eight districts -- West Tripura, Khowai, Unakoti and North Tripura.

Officials said that due to the heavy rains and flash flood, over 201 houses were damaged including 92 houses severely in different districts.

Chief Minister Manik Saha accompanied by other senior officials on Sunday afternoon conducted a visit to the flood-affected areas and relief camps.

In Manipur, floods caused by heavy rain wreaked havoc in Manipur, with 3,802 people affected and 883 houses damaged due to floods and landslides across the state in the last 48 hours.

Vast areas of Imphal East and Imphal West districts including the state's capital Imphal, have been inundated after a swollen river breached embankments and overflowed in Khurai, Heingang and Checkon areas.

Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla visited several inundated areas of Imphal town even as the army and Assam Rifles personnel rescued nearly 1,300 people on Saturday and Sunday from submerged localities in Imphal East, the worst-affected district.

A Raj Bhavan official said that the Governor, accompanied by Chief Secretary Prashanta Kumar Singh and other senior officials, visited Kangla Nongpok Thong, Lairikyengbam Leikai, and Singjamei Bridge in Imphal and assessed the overall situation.

In Meghalaya, over 1300 people of 86 villages were affected and 37 houses were damaged due to incessant rains and flood since Thursday.

Forty five various types of infrastructures including bridges were damaged due to this calamity.

--IANS

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