IMD issues red alert as Assam and northeastern states receive heavy rainfall

New Delhi (India) June 1: On Saturday, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Civil Defence, and local authorities launched rescue operations after the continuous and intense rains that caused major waterlogging in several areas of Guwahati.

Floods and landslides in five northeastern states have claimed the lives of at least 32 persons. Nine people were killed in Assam alone, five of whom were in Guwahati. Children were killed by landslides, rockfalls, and falling buildings in bordering Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Nagaland.

The authorities believe that a depression over northern Bangladesh and neighbouring Meghalaya has caused the rainfall. According to the India Meteorological Department, Guwahati received 111 mm of rain in the last 24 hours which is the highest May rainfall ever.

According to IMD, the region will continue to see heavy rainfall in the coming days also. It has issued red and orange alerts for parts of Assam. It has also issued yellow and orange alerts for the rest of the north eastern region.

According to the Mizoram State Disaster Management Authority, five people were reportedly killed in landslides that happened at 113 different locations throughout the state.

The Meghalaya State Disaster Management Authority also stated that during the last two days, six people had died in the state.

Three days of nonstop rain in Manipur have completely stopped normal activities in Imphal. Authorities have issued flood warnings and requested residents living along the Imphal River's floodplains to leave after reports of waterlogging were received from various parts of the city.

Due to landslides caused by the constant rains, the main route in north Sikkim was closed, leaving almost 1,500 visitors stranded in various locations.

More than 10,000 people in Guwahati and Silchar are impacted by the urban floods that are happening because of the quick rise of floodwaters in urban areas caused by limited absorption and high rainfall events. A number of camps for displaced people have been made.

A landslide on the National Highway 13 caused a car to fall into a gorge along the stretch from Bana and Seppa in East Kameng district, killing seven persons in Arunachal Pradesh. Two persons were killed in the Lower Subansiri district in another landslide-related accident.

The eight revenue circles in three districts Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, and Golaghat have also reported experiencing flooding in urban areas.

The Assam state government declared a special casual leave for its employees and schools and institutions in the districts of Kamrup and Guwahati were closed on Saturday.

Aadrika Tayal