Arunachal Pradesh Faces Devastating Floods: 11 Lives Lost and Thousands Affected

Severe Flooding and Landslides in Arunachal Pradesh

Itanagar: The relentless rainfall in Arunachal Pradesh has led to a tragic increase in the death toll from floods and landslides, now totaling 11, following the death of a labourer due to a wall collapse in Anjaw district, as reported by officials on Tuesday.

The State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) revealed that Bhaben Murmu, aged 38, lost his life when a wall fell during a landslide on June 1, with three workers from the General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) sustaining injuries in the same incident.

Currently, 938 individuals across 156 villages in 23 districts are affected by the flooding, according to the latest updates.

The Lower Subansiri district has experienced extensive damage, including the destruction of 114 kutcha houses, 45 pucca houses, and nine huts. Infrastructure has also suffered, with 51 roads, 17 power lines, and 23 water supply lines damaged, along with two schools.

Significant destruction has been reported in the Itanagar Capital Region (ICR) and Pakke Kessang, where critical assets like the main water pipeline in ICR and the road at Dariya Hill have been severely impacted.

Flood conditions and landslides have been noted in various districts, including West Kameng, Kamle, Lower and Upper Subansiri, Papum Pare, Dibang Valley, Lower Dibang Valley, Lohit, Changlang, Kra Daadi, Kurung Kumey, and Longding, as rivers and tributaries continue to overflow.

The floods and landslides have devastated approximately 15 hectares of crop fields, eight hectares of horticultural plantations, and seven hectares of agricultural land.

In Changlang district, flash floods from the Buri-Dihing River have washed away half of the Makantong bridge on the Trans-Arunachal Highway, disrupting road connectivity between Miao and Bordumsa. Large areas in the Miao subdivision are now submerged, leading to significant losses in livestock and horticultural assets.

Popular tourist destinations such as Zupra and River Cafe along the Noa-Dehing River have also been inundated. The Industrial Training Institute (ITI) at Balinong, located in the Kharsang circle, has suffered extensive damage, with hostels, staff quarters, water tanks, and other facilities destroyed.

The Noa-Dehing River has further eroded substantial portions of agricultural and horticultural land in the Dharmapur block under Namphai circle.

In Upper Subansiri, the water supply system has been severely disrupted due to multiple breaches in the Hangkar pipeline. Teams from the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) are working to restore the system, while tankers are providing emergency water supplies.

Authorities in Namsai district have established a relief camp at Alubari Government Secondary School, currently sheltering 59 displaced individuals.

State Disaster Management Secretary Dani Sulu confirmed that relief and rescue operations are actively underway.

To date, 18 individuals have been evacuated, including 14 labourers airlifted from Lower Dibang Valley and four others rescued from Jallukbari village in Lohit district.