Red alert for all northeastern states, floods wreak havoc in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for all northeastern states, predicting extremely heavy rain as severe flooding continues to cripple Assam and Arunachal Pradesh due to a rise in the water levels of the Brahmaputra river.

The IMD has also issued district-wise red alerts for the states, especially for areas located near the Brahmaputra or any of its tributaries.

According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), the number of flood-affected districts in the state has increased from 12 to 19. The affected population has also increased from 2.62 lakh to 6.44 lakh people.

Schools in Itanagar have been closed from July 2 to July 6 due to flooding and the possibility of further landslides triggered by the rain in Arunachal Pradesh.

All rivers in Arunachal Pradesh are currently above the danger mark, due to increasing water levels from continuous rain. Flood waters have submerged low-lying areas in the East Siang and Lower Siang districts, news agency PTI reported.

The floods have claimed 35 lives so far and 26,199.18 hectares of crop area have been inundated, according to the ASDMA. The ASDMA also reported that 4,85,736 animals have also been affected by the floods.

Currently, rescue operations are underway, but prove difficult due to lack of surface connectivity in Arunachal Pradesh due to landslides and flooding. According to an India Today report, the Assam Rifles have rescued 500 people stranded in flood-hit areas under ‘Operation Saviour’.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Army are on standby to deal with emergencies and that the situation in the state is being monitored by all MLAs and officials.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah called me and assured of all help to deal with the situation,” Sarma said.