Floods in Assam worsen; red alert for Sikkim, north Bengal
Intense monsoon rains in Assam, Sikkim and north Bengal continued to cause landslides and floods in several areas on Friday.
Intense monsoon rains in Assam, Sikkim and north Bengal continued to cause landslides and floods in several areas on Friday, prompting authorities to step up rescue and relief operations and evacuate the affected people to safer locations.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red warning – indication for authorities to take measures to ensure minimum damage and loss of lives – for north Bengal and Sikkim as heavy rain battered the region.
The flood situation in Assam worsened on Friday with a population of over 67,000 affected in 17 districts, as the water level of major rivers, including the Brahmaputra, flowed above the danger level at several places, according to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA).
The number of affected districts also rose to 17 as against the previous day’s 10, it said. However, no fresh deaths were reported and the overall toll due to the floods remained seven.
Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that excess water from Kurichu dam in Bhutan was being released since Friday morning and the district administrations in downstream areas of Assam have been put on alert for possible flooding. “The excess water is being carefully redirected through the gates to control the flow,” he tweeted.
In Sikkim, landslides triggered by the incessant downpour cut off large parts of northern areas, including the Nathula pass. A landslide in 9th Mile area along Jawaharlal Nehru Road cut off Nathula pass, connecting India and China, besides tourist destinations such as Tsomgo Lake and Baba Mandir, from Sikkim’s capital Gangtok, officials said.
According to the weather body, north Sikkim received heavy rains in the past one week.
Two people were swept away in Kalchini river at Alipurduar district in north Bengal on Thursday, officials said. While one body was recovered, efforts are on to trace the other, they said.
In Jalpaiguri, the army rescued 72 villagers, including 24 children from Mechpara village near Hashimara, who were stuck in floods. “The rapid flow of the Kaljani River led to the flooding of Mechpara village and the washing of the only bridge connecting Mechpara with the main highway,” the army said.
North Bengal recorded heavy rainfall on July 12 and 13, which led to the Torsa and Kaljani rivers in Alipurduar district crossing danger levels.
