IMD ‘red alert’ in 3 northeast states as rain, flood wreak havoc

SHILLONG: The unrelenting rains in Assam, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh have prompted the IMD to extend the 'red alert' for an additional day in the three states until Wednesday, even as floods and landslides continued to wreak havoc across the northeast, cutting off several areas.
In Assam, the number of people affected by floods crossed 1.61 lakh on Tuesday. The death toll went up to 26 in the last 24 hours, with a fresh casualty being reported from Hailakandi district.
The Kopili river in Nagaon district and Kushiyara in Karimganj district are flowing above the danger mark, while the Brahmaputra and several of its tributaries are also showing a rising trend.
SDRF personnel were pressed into rescue and relief operations as floodwaters inundated Karimganj town and district. In Meghalaya, Mawsynram, renowned as one of the wettest locations globally, recorded an extremely heavy rainfall of 78 cm in the last 24 hours (till 8.30 am on Tuesday). Cherrapunji also saw a heavy rainfall of 47 cm.
CM Conrad K Sangma assessed the flood situation on Tuesday. The continued downpour has washed away portions of roads and triggered landslides and mudslides, snapping connectivity in various parts of Arunachal, Meghalaya and Mizoram. The NH-415 leading to Itanagar and NH-6 in Meghalaya connecting Mizoram and Assam have been cut off.
With IMD forecasting heavy rain in Itanagar over the next few days, the district administration urged people living in vulnerable areas to shift to safer locations.