While the rest of the country is burning up like a cauldron from hell, Assam and the rest of the northeast are bearing the brunt of nature’s other side – flood and landslides triggered by excessive rains. The first wave of floods to have hit the state has already jeopardized the lives of almost a lakh people, according to estimates released by Assam State Disaster Management Authority, in six districts - Jorhat, Sivasagar, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Cachar and Charaideo.
Rivers above danger mark
Sivasagar is presently facing a significant amount of danger as Desang and Burhidihing Rivers are still tipping over the danger mark. It is being feared that in Dima Hasao district flash floods may have washed away many labourers at a stone quarry close to the River Jatinga. However, there has been no confirmed news of death owing to floods in Assam. The floods have also drowned crop area of almost 5000 hectares.
Problems in railway communication
The situation between Badarpur and Lumding is precarious as there have been landslides at four separate places. This has also stopped train services in Lumding-Silchar hill station, which had started on the evening of 24 April with a goods train. Officials of Northeast Frontier Railway have said that services will remain suspended till the time restoration work is completed. In Barak Valley, located in southern Assam, rail and road communications have been broken even as weather still is quite hostile in the affected areas.
Landslides
Landslides are also a major natural disaster happening quite regularly in the mountainous areas in Northeast. A year back, the entire Darjeeling district was heavily affected owing to landslides – an entire village was literally wiped out in the space of a night – and now parts of Assam and other states in the northeast have been hit by landslides. Already, Mon district in Nagaland has been cut off owing to landslides and almost 19 people have passed away in Arunachal Pradesh because of the same. Heavy rainfall is being regarded as the main reason behind the landslides. Landslides have also isolated Anjaw district, located in the eastern part of Arunachal Pradesh. Kalikho Pul, the Chief Minister of the state, has – by his own admission – released INR 2 crore to carry out restoration work in Tawang. Relief has also been provided to families that have lost members in the landslides. Landslides have already destroyed around 200 houses in Nagaland. The state government has already got the Border Roads Organisation working to bring back the roads to good health.
While the rest of the country is burning up like a cauldron from hell, Assam and the rest of the northeast are bearing the brunt of nature’s other side – flood and landslides triggered by excessive rains. The first wave of floods to have hit the state has already jeopardized the lives of almost a lakh people, according to estimates released by Assam State Disaster Management Authority, in six districts - Jorhat, Sivasagar, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Cachar and Charaideo.
Rivers above danger mark
Sivasagar is presently facing a significant amount of danger as Desang and Burhidihing Rivers are still tipping over the danger mark. It is being feared that in Dima Hasao district flash floods may have washed away many labourers at a stone quarry close to the River Jatinga. However, there has been no confirmed news of death owing to floods in Assam. The floods have also drowned crop area of almost 5000 hectares.
Problems in railway communication
The situation between Badarpur and Lumding is precarious as there have been landslides at four separate places. This has also stopped train services in Lumding-Silchar hill station, which had started on the evening of 24 April with a goods train. Officials of Northeast Frontier Railway have said that services will remain suspended till the time restoration work is completed. In Barak Valley, located in southern Assam, rail and road communications have been broken even as weather still is quite hostile in the affected areas.
Landslides
Landslides are also a major natural disaster happening quite regularly in the mountainous areas in Northeast. A year back, the entire Darjeeling district was heavily affected owing to landslides – an entire village was literally wiped out in the space of a night – and now parts of Assam and other states in the northeast have been hit by landslides. Already, Mon district in Nagaland has been cut off owing to landslides and almost 19 people have passed away in Arunachal Pradesh because of the same. Heavy rainfall is being regarded as the main reason behind the landslides. Landslides have also isolated Anjaw district, located in the eastern part of Arunachal Pradesh. Kalikho Pul, the Chief Minister of the state, has – by his own admission – released INR 2 crore to carry out restoration work in Tawang. Relief has also been provided to families that have lost members in the landslides. Landslides have already destroyed around 200 houses in Nagaland. The state government has already got the Border Roads Organisation working to bring back the roads to good health.
