3 dead; incessant rains, waterlogging disrupt life in NE states (Ld)

Guwahati/Aizawl, May 30 (IANS) Three people, including a child, died in three northeastern states while normal life in most of the states in the region was badly affected due to intermittent light to moderate rain triggered by a depression in the Bay of Bengal, officials said on Friday.

An official of the Mizoram Disaster Management Authority said that one person died and another was injured as a wall collapsed at Thuampui in Mizoram's Aizawl on Friday after incessant rains during the past 24 hours.

According to the official, a retaining wall collapsed causing the death of Lalnunmawia, 36, while Lalfakzuala, 35, was injured and is under medical treatment.

Another official said that schools in Aizawl district remained closed for the second consecutive day on Friday as incessant rain lashed the mountainous state, triggering landslides in different parts of the state.

In Tripura, a 16-year-old child Tanmoy Debnath drowned while fishing in a pond after incessant rains at Jirania in West Tripura district.

Due to the rain since Thursday, 106 houses, including 33, were severely damaged in different districts while more than 210 people comprising 57 families took shelter in four relief camps in West Tripura and Khowai districts.

In Nagaland, a rockfall incident on National Highway-29 at the Pagala Pahar stretch in Chumoukedima district claimed the life of a truck driver on Friday after rocks and sludges fell on the moving truck.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had forecast heavy to extremely heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds from May 29 to June 1 in all the northeastern states.

Incessant rain since Thursday caused waterlogging in Assam's main city of Guwahati for the second consecutive day on Friday.

Officials said that major parts of the Guwahati-Shillong road, one of the vital roads in the city, remained waterlogged, triggering heavy traffic congestion in most parts of the commercial city.

Flash floods in several localities, including Chandmari, Rukminigaon, and Hatigaon, severely affected normal life.

The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), in a statement, said that the IMD has predicted inclement weather over Assam with the likelihood of heavy to extremely heavy rainfall expected across western and southern parts of the state in the next two to three days.

An ASDMA statement said that an advisory from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Friday that the deep depression over northwest Bay of Bengal off West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts moved nearly northwards with a speed of 22 km per hour and crossed West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts which lay centred on Friday morning over West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts maintaining its intensity of deep depression till evening of May 31 in the northeastern states.

The MHA, in this regard, published warning of exceptionally heavy rainfall over Meghalaya and extremely heavy rainfall along with wind speed reaching 50-60 km per hour gusting to 70 km per hour over Assam and nearby states in next 24 hours which may aggravate waterlogging, slow vehicular movement, and increase the risk of localised landslides in vulnerable pockets.

The state and district authorities are closely monitoring the situation and emergency response systems are being kept on alert, the advisory said.

In light of the inclement weather and forecast of heavy to very heavy rains, the Guwahati airport authority advised all the passengers to check their flight status with their respective airlines and leave for the airport a little earlier.

The Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA) has said that in the coming days, the state would see heavy rainfall in nearly every district until June 5, with isolated thunderstorms and lightning.

As a result, it is vital to take the necessary measures during this period, including avoiding lightning strikes and high winds, which can disrupt communication and connectivity.

Due to the risk of high precipitation in the hill sector, Nagaland's lowland and foothill districts, including Dimapur, Nuiland, Chumoukedima, Bhandari, Baghty, Tizit, and Tuli are vulnerable to inundation, waterlogging and flash floods, the NSDMA said in a statement.

Light to moderate rains, flash floods, and landslides also affected life in Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur.

There were reports of damage to many houses in these states.

--IANS

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