SHILLONG: 17th June 2022 (PTI Source)
Heavy rains are expected to continue for at least the next two days, according to Guwahati's Regional Met Centre, Assam. Both Meghalaya and Assam are on a high 'red alert' until the 18th of June.
So far, nine people including six children have died in the northeast monsoon, which has left many villages cut off and killed 16 others. Many were injured as floods triggered by torrential rains swept away homes and blocked important roads connecting several states. Five people, including four children and a woman, lost their lives in Meghalaya as a result of the storm.
As the Assam rain Armageddon continues, two children died Thursday as a result of debris from a destroyed road collapsing their house in the Goalpara region. Two more people perished as a result of heavy floods in the districts of Udalguri and Dima Hasao, Assam.
Four minors, two of whom are boys and two of whom are girls, perished in Laitlarem, Nongspung circle in Shillong when their home caved in. A woman aged 25 died after her home collapsed in West Khasi Hills' Jashiar village.
Landslides and floods have claimed almost 50 lives this year in the Northeastern region, with the most recent fatalities coming amid heavy rains.
Even as the National Highway- 6, a crucial roadway that connects Tripura, parts of Manipur and the southern region of Assam with the rest of the country, remained shut due to widespread damage, there was significant damage to roads and highways in the Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills.
The Meghalaya state government has announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased. The NH-6 in the East Jaintia Hills was severely damaged, according to officials, with two heavy vehicles plummeting as the road caved, leading to deaths and injuries.
In Meghalaya, which is also experiencing a severe deluge, three people have died in landslides caused by the rain.
More than eleven (11) lakh people across twenty-five (25) districts have been affected, according to a release by ASDMA late Thursday night. More than 170 camps housing about 61,000 people have been set up throughout the affected regions of the state. The Brahmaputra and its tributaries are rapidly flowing above danger levels.
On Monday, flash floods hit portions of the NH-6, causing traffic on the road to grind to a halt. The highway that comes under the Lumshnong Police Station in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills, a few sections of it were washed away by heavy rains, bringing movement to a halt. Advisories were issued by the state government officials requesting all vehicles, especially HMVs, not to commute via the damaged road.
Most regions of lower Assam were inundated, according to Gyanendra Dev Tripathi, CEO of ASDMA. “Several landslides were reported from Barak Valley and Dima Hasao districts of Assam” he added.
In Meghalaya, CM Conrad Sangma announced a gratuity of Rs 4 lakhs to each of the relatives of each deceased person. The state government has established regional committees to investigate the problem and ordered the closure of all schools until June 20 in order to "ensure the safety of school kids."
In the interim, Guwahati continues to suffer from urban floods; several areas below the road level are still inundated with heavy floods, and many communities are cut off from electricity. Today, all education institutions in the city remained closed.
In North Guwahati in Kamrup (M) district, as well as Goalpara, Dima Hasao, and Hojai districts, minor to moderate landslides were reported.
The Meghalaya government has ordered all schools to close for the next five days, as a result of the predicted severe rainfall throughout that period. The officials were ordered to thoroughly evaluate and assess the safety of reopening schools on a case-by-case basis, according to an official order.