Two persons wade through floodwaters in Imphal on Wednesday. Picture by Eastern Projections

Imphal, Oct. 17: Hundreds of villagers living on the banks of the Imphal river in Imphal East district of Manipur today shifted to safer places following a warning by the irrigation and flood control department that the river could overflow anytime.

Following heavy downpour that has been continuing for the past three days in most parts of the state, all the major rivers are flowing above the danger level.

The control room set up by the department has issued a warning that river waters could overflow or breach the embankments if the rain continued. No damage had been reported till this afternoon, the department said. However, there are reports of leaks at many places along the bank of Imphal river.

Fears of a flash flood forced many villagers to remove their families and household items to safer places.

Irrigation and flood control minister N. Biren Singh, accompanied by officials, visited the vulnerable sites along the embankment this afternoon and ordered strengthening of the weak points.

The department has sought help from the India Reserve Battalion in putting up bamboo fencing.

Several trucks were used to transport mounds of earth collected from other parts of the district to fill in the weak points. Biren Singh stressed that the government had taken all possible measurers to prevent breach of dykes and the department was well equipped to handle such situations.

Rivers in the state are in spate for the second time since the first week of September. Many embankments have been breached in the valley districts of Imphal East, Thoubal and Bishnupur, inundating arable land with standing crops.