Severe Flooding in Arunachal Pradesh: Rescue Operations Underway
Flash Floods Devastate Keyi Panyor District
Flood waters create havoc in Arunachal Pradesh's Keyi Panyor district on Wednesday (Photo: AT)
Itanagar, June 24: In a tragic incident, three individuals are reported missing, and at least 18 homes have been destroyed in the Keyi Panyor district of Arunachal Pradesh due to severe rainfall that caused flash floods and landslides, leading to extensive rescue and relief efforts.
As per Deputy Commissioner Sweta Nagorkoti, the flash floods impacted the NEEPCO Colony area adjacent to the Panyor Lower Hydroelectric Project, previously known as the Ranganadi Hydroelectric Project, on Wednesday.
The rising floodwaters, along with debris, have swept away numerous houses and inflicted significant damage on local infrastructure.
The district administration has initiated search and rescue operations, deploying personnel from both the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to assist in the efforts.
Authorities are currently assessing the extent of the damage, with plans for restoration to commence once weather conditions improve and access to affected areas is restored.
Rescue operations have faced challenges due to damage to the helipad in the area, rendering it unusable.
This situation has complicated the Army and Indian Air Force's plans to use helicopters for search and rescue missions.
Additionally, heavy rainfall has triggered a landslide approximately 43 km from the NEEPCO area, where large amounts of mud, rocks, and debris have blocked sections of the road, severely hindering vehicle movement.
In response to the flash flooding in the Panyor Lower Hydroelectric Project area, authorities opened one spillway gate by 1.5 meters at noon as a precaution due to a sharp increase in water inflow.
Officials reported that the gate was discharging 230.83 cubic meters of water per second.
Reports of debris flow and damage to homes and local infrastructure have also emerged from parts of Yazali.
Meteorological data from the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Guwahati and the Meteorological Centre in Itanagar indicated that Yazali in the Lower Subansiri district received approximately 72.8 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours, with the heaviest rainfall occurring between 6 am and 9 am on Wednesday.
Satellite and radar observations have shown intense rainfall over a short duration, leading to flash floods and a rapid increase in river inflows throughout the region.
This situation has raised alarms in neighboring Assam, where authorities have warned of a potential rise in river levels across several downstream districts in the next 24 to 48 hours.
Districts such as Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Biswanath, Sonitpur, and Dhubri are on high alert as floodwaters continue to move downstream.
In response, the Assam government has activated all relevant departments to monitor the situation closely.
Residents in the affected areas of Arunachal Pradesh are advised to stay alert, avoid unnecessary travel, and adhere to official advisories, as forecasts suggest the likelihood of additional rainfall in the coming days.