Severe Flooding in Lakhimpur Claims Lives and Strands Thousands

Tragic Flooding in North Lakhimpur

North Lakhimpur, May 31: Heavy rainfall overnight, coupled with dam-related flooding, has led to the tragic loss of two lives and left thousands stranded in Lakhimpur district on Saturday.

The victims have been identified as Biren Pawe and Rajkumar Taid, who were trapped in their homes in Nowboicha and succumbed to the floodwaters.

The Ranganadi River began to overflow at 1 a.m. on Saturday after the North East Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) released water from the Panyor Hydro Electric Plant (PHEP) the previous evening. This plant is situated upstream in Yazali, Arunachal Pradesh.

Currently, 243 villages have been impacted by the flooding. The district administration has initiated a continuous rescue operation, deploying State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel to assist in the affected regions.

The Nowboicha Revenue Circle has been particularly hard hit, with floodwaters from the Ranganadi River spilling onto National Highway 15 at Gendhali, approximately 8 kilometers from North Lakhimpur's district headquarters.

The flooding was exacerbated by the breaching of the Mora Singra embankment at Atichuk, which allowed water to flow over NH-15 via Khagorigaon.

As a result of the rising waters, National Highway 15 has been closed, stranding numerous vehicles on either side.

In Pohumora, floodwaters from the PHEP breached the right embankment, inundating a large area.

This affected zone includes Pohumora High School, the Satajan Bird Sanctuary, and the Phumora-Kimin interstate road, effectively severing road access to Arunachal Pradesh.

Villages such as No. 1 Dejo Pathar, Pachnoi, Na Bhagania, and Deobil have been severely impacted, forcing residents to evacuate and abandon their belongings and food supplies, which were swept away by the flood.

This morning, the overflowing Ranganadi River also breached the locally known "ULFA Embankment" in Aamtola, inundating over a hundred villages.