Fresh floods, landslides and heavy rainfall affected four more districts of Arunachal Pradesh over the past 24 hours, taking the impact of the ongoing monsoon disaster to all 26 districts of the state. Amid the worsening situation, Rajya Sabha MP Tai Tagak has urged the Centre to provide a special relief and rehabilitation package, saying the magnitude of the damage is beyond the state’s capacity to handle alone.
According to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), Kamle, Pakke-Kessang, Kra Daadi and East Kameng reported fresh incidents of flooding and landslides during the last 24 hours. No fresh deaths, injuries or missing persons were reported during the period.
The SEOC said the cumulative number of people affected by floods and landslides has risen to 1,02,917 across 466 villages under 295 administrative circles in all 26 districts. So far, the monsoon disaster has claimed seven lives and left 29 people injured.
Upper Siang remains the worst-hit district with 49,259 affected people, followed by Siang (25,365), Kra Daadi (13,731), East Kameng (6,146) and Namsai (2,657).
Kamle reported one incident each of heavy rainfall and flooding, while Pakke-Kessang witnessed a landslide. Kra Daadi recorded three flood incidents and three landslides, and East Kameng reported two fresh flood incidents.
Floods severely damaged 17 kutcha houses in Kamle. In Kra Daadi, four kutcha houses, one hut and 16 pucca houses were damaged. Infrastructure also suffered fresh losses, with a road damaged by a landslide in Pakke-Kessang, while one bridge, two roads and two hostels were damaged in Kra Daadi. In East Kameng, two retaining walls were damaged by floodwaters.
Meanwhile, an 84-metre bridge over the Kumey River in Kra Daadi district was washed away by flash floods on Monday, cutting off eight villages from the rest of the state. Officials who visited the affected area said more than 20 houses along the riverbank had also been washed away.
The cumulative damage across the state includes 452 kutcha houses, 100 pucca houses, 44 huts and 24 other houses. Floods and landslides have also affected 561.75 hectares of agricultural and horticultural land.
The disaster has damaged 153 roads, 24 bridges, 26 culverts, 237 drinking water supply systems, 156 power lines, 224 electric poles, 59 government buildings and 19 schools, besides affecting over 1,010 hectares of forest area.
The East Kameng district administration has advised residents to avoid unnecessary travel, stay away from rivers and water bodies, and refrain from activities that could increase landslide risks. Deputy Commissioner Yashaswani B inspected vulnerable locations along the Kameng and Pacha rivers to review preparedness and assess damage.
Calling the situation one of the worst natural disasters in recent years, Rajya Sabha MP Tai Tagak appealed to the Centre for a special financial package to support rescue operations, infrastructure restoration and long-term rehabilitation.
“The scale of destruction is beyond the capacity of the state government alone to manage. A special central assistance package is essential for immediate relief as well as long-term rebuilding,” Tagak said.
He said nearly 15 districts had suffered extensive damage and several areas remained cut off due to damaged roads and bridges, leading to shortages of food, drinking water and other essential supplies. Tagak added that he would raise the issue during the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament beginning on July 20.
