Floods and Landslides Cripple Arunachal Pradesh as Rain Alerts Persist

Itanagar: Persistent rain hit five districts in Arunachal Pradesh on July 16, triggering floods and landslides. East Kameng, Upper Subansiri, Upper Siang, Kamle, and Kra Daadi felt the brunt of the storm. These regions report damaged roads, bridges, and broken irrigation infrastructure.

The state disaster management report confirms seven deaths so far. Another 29 people sustained injuries. More than one lakh people have lost property or faced displacement. The total count hit 1,03,860. The government counts 804 damaged houses, including 614 kutcha and 120 pucca structures.

Upper Siang remains the worst-hit area with 49,259 residents affected. Siang follows with 25,365, Kra Daadi with 13,731, East Kameng with 6,786, and Upper Subansiri with 3,467. Namsai and Anjaw also report thousands of victims. Agricultural losses mount. Floods destroyed 603.75 hectares of land, split between 240 hectares of crops and 363.75 hectares of horticulture.

The India Meteorological Department warns of more trouble ahead. Rainfall will likely continue for three days. Officials issued an orange alert for Papum Pare, Tirap, and Changlang on Friday. Thunderstorms are expected. The warning shifts Saturday to include Longding, East Siang, and Lower Subansiri. Lohit and Papum Pare face risks of very heavy rainfall. Residents must stay alert.

The IMD stated, "The IMD has advised district authorities and residents to remain vigilant, warning that heavy rainfall could trigger landslides, flash floods, waterlogging and disruptions to road connectivity, particularly in vulnerable areas." Conditions should improve by Sunday, with most warnings dropping by Monday.