The National and State Disaster Response Forces rescued around 200 persons from Assam’s flooded Dhemaji district on Friday as the Siang river continued to swell, PTI reported. Indian Air Force personnel airlifted 19 people from an inundated island in Arunachal Pradesh’s East Siang district on Friday.
East Siang District Commissioner Tamiyo Tatak said he had requested the Indian Air Force for assistance to airlift the 19 cattle herders from Assam, who were stranded for 24 hours. Tatak said Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu monitored the evacuation from Itanagar and Lok Sabha MP Ninong Ering and Pasighat West MLA Tatung Jamoh helped the police and locals rescue the stranded cattle.
More than 1,000 families living along the river have been impacted by the flooding in Mebo, legislator Lombo Tayeng said. He announced Rs 1 lakh for each victim. Tayeng said he sent a report to Union Minister Kiren Rijiju requesting him to ensure immediate assistance and to help organise an inter-ministerial central team to assess the situation.
In Meghayala, a flood alert has been sounded in three districts.
Earlier on Friday, Khandu said Indian Air Force personnel used helicopters to evacuate 30 people stranded on an island in the state.
In Assam, the district administrations of Lakhimpur and Dibrugarh are reportedly taking precautionary measures against possible flooding, according to PTI.
The East Siang district administration issued a circular on Wednesday asking people living on both sides of the Siang river to remain alert “but not to panic”. The circular stated that as per reports sent to New Delhi by Beijing, “due to heavy rainfall in Chinese portion, the Tsangpo river is swelling with observed discharge of 9,020 cumecs” at 8 am on Wednesday. The Siang river, which originates in Tibet, is known as Tsangpo in China.
Meanwhile, large-scale soil erosion has been reported in areas of Pasighat in East Siang district due to the rising water levels and high tides in Siang river, reported Northeast Today on Thursday. At least eight houses in Seram village have already been eroded.
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