Girl dies in Arunachal landslip

A jawan helps rescue stranded civilians in West Kameng district in Arunachal Pradesh. 
Picture by UB Photos

DAMIEN LEPCHA, PRANAB KR DAS AND VINOD KR SINGH, TT, Tezpur/Dhemaji/Itanagar, June 19: An 18-year-old girl died on the spot and three persons sustained severe injuries when a massive landslide triggered by heavy downpour hit Chimpu village, about 4km from Itanagar, today.

Biki Anju, the daughter of Biki Talik, was a Class X student of Chimpu Secondary School.

The landslide occurred during the wee hours when the deceased and the injured were asleep in their tin and bamboo house. Of the three injured, one Bengia Nina is said to be critical and is undergoing treatment at RK Mission Hospital here.

Local MLA Techi Kaso, who is also the parliamentary secretary for urban development, and councillors of Itanagar Municipal Council Biri Tukdo and Techi Mema, visited the affected area where more than five dwellings were completely damaged in the landslide.

Kaso provided some relief materials and assured the affected of more aid soon.

He also appealed to the people residing along river banks and mountain slopes to remain alert all the time.

"Though we cannot prevent a natural calamity, we can minimise the extent of damage if we remain alert and take precautionary measures during the monsoon," Kaso said. Heavy and incessant rain has battered West Kameng district with multiple landslides in Bomdila, Dirang, Singchung, Nafra and Kalaktang subdivisions, resulting in traffic blockade, disruption in power and water supply and major damages to private and public property.

There has been abnormal rise in water levels reaching danger zones in rivers and streams of Dirang, Tenga and Rupa areas.

The affects of unremitting rainfall could also be seen at East Kameng district as road communication has been disrupted in many places of the district.

Road connectivity to the ADC headquarters of Bameng and circle office headquarters of Pipu has snapped due to landslides at many places while torrential rain has caused havoc at many places in the Palaji-Khupi region and affected vehicular movement from East Kameng to West Kameng districts and Assam.

Massive landslides following incessant rainfall at several places in Bhalukpong over the past few days have wreaked havoc for travellers.

Landslides blocked the roads at upper Tippi, Kamla Bridge 1 and Ziro Point connecting Seppa road since this morning.

Vehicles and tourists were stranded at Bhalukpong in West Kameng district and vehicles coming from Tawang to Tezpur in central Assam's Sonitpur district were stranded at Dirang due to another landslide near Bomdila, which was cleared by this afternoon. Bhalukpong is nearly 50km from here.

Nearly 150 vehicles were stranded near Tippi in Bhalukpong. The district administration and local NGOs are clearing the road using excavators.

Police sources from Dirrang said the clearing operations at Bomdila were almost complete but had to be suspended because of rain this evening. Rescue teams from the NDRF, CRPF, ITBP, police and army were involved in the operation.

Guwahati-based defence spokesperson Lt Col Suneet Newton told The Telegraph that at the request of Bomdila additional deputy commissioner R. Tibba this morning, army troops at Bhalukpong rescued 200 civilians, including 70 women and 50 children, from the site of a landslide.

They were stranded between two landslides, 7km from Bhalukpong towards Sessa, in 70 vehicles since last evening.

He said the commander of the army company, along with medical officers, two junior commissioned officers and 20 others, moved to the site, and took the stranded civilians out of the danger zone this morning.

The people were evacuated to safety around 11am today and provided medicines and food. Border Roads Organisation personnel were trying to clear the routes, he added.

Continuous rain for the past four days paralysed life in Lakhimpur and Dhemaji districts of Upper Assam, causing a rise in the water levels of all tributaries of the Brahmaputra. Water from the hills caused the Singra river to overflow at Naoboicha in Lakhimpur district and inundated 20 villages of Borsola panchayat area, damaging crops over a vast area.

Erosion by the Brahmaputra along the Sissi-Tekelifuta dykes has left villagers under Dhakuakhana subdivision of Lakhimpur district with fears of losing their property and agricultural land if steps were not initiated. A few villages in the area have been inundated.

Sources said the dyke of the Singra, which was breached last year, had not been repaired. The people are stuck in their waterlogged houses.

Some villages in the low-lying areas of Jonai subdivision in Dhemaji district were also reeling under a flood-like situation as the water of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries continued to rise.

Chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal today asked the deputy commissioners to reach out to the flood-affected people with relief materials and ensure that ex gratia is paid within 48 hours. He issued the instruction during a meeting chaired by him in Guwahati to review the preparedness to tackle floods this year.

5 hurt in landslip

Five members of a family were injured in a landslip at Balia village in Karimganj district last night. The village, around 77km from here, is under Binodini gaon panchayat in south Karimganj constituency.

The injured are Satkoragul Lower Primary School teacher Abdul Wahab, 48, his wife Hanifa Begum, 34, children Shamim Ahmed, 17, Sahida Begum, 12, and Jasim Uddin, 11. The villagers said the incident occurred around 5.45am when the family was asleep. A large portion of a hillock, rendered weak after relentless rain, collapsed and fell on the house.

On hearing their screams, their neighbours rushed out and found the house totally covered in soil. They immediately rescued the family members and rushed them to a local hospital. Later, Wahab and Hanifa were shifted to Silchar Medical College and Hospital. Their children were released from the local hospital after first aid.

South Karimganj MLA Aziz Ahmed Khan said over phone this evening from Guwahati that on receiving the news he contacted Karimganj deputy commissioner Pradeep Kumar Talukdar who instructed Patharkandi circle officer L. Kiangte to inspect the site. The circle officer will submit a report within the next two days, he said.

Khan said he would reach Karimganj tomorrow and visit the village. He said compensation would be provided to the family.