Wednesday, 04 June 2025
Wednesday, 04 June 2025
The skies over the Northeast are unlikely to clear soon. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Assam and Meghalaya, forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall in the coming days. Similar alerts have been issued for Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur and Tripura, which are also expected to experience intense downpours.
Floods and landslides triggered by rain continue to disrupt life in the region. The Centre has extended assistance to four states to “tackle any situation.”
Since May 29, the death toll from floods and landslides has risen to 29—8 in Assam, 10 in Arunachal Pradesh, 6 in Meghalaya, 4 in Mizoram, and 1 in Sikkim.
Large parts of Imphal, the capital of Manipur, were waterlogged on Sunday. Mizoram reported landslides at 211 locations, which led to the collapse of 60 houses and 83 road blockages across the state. The Met office has forecast unsettled weather conditions till June 4.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke with the chief ministers of Assam, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh, as well as the governor of Manipur, regarding the “ongoing heavy rainfall in their states” and assured them of all necessary support.
Mizoram shuts schools
All schools in Mizoram remained closed on Monday following heavy rain that triggered landslides, mudslides, rockfalls, and waterlogging, officials said.
Director of School Education Angela Zothanpuii confirmed that all 11 districts had announced school closures as a precaution to protect students.
Chief Minister Lalduhoma held an emergency meeting on Sunday with ministers and senior officials in response to the worsening situation since rains began on May 24.
State disaster management officials said landslides were reported in over 13 places on Monday alone, blocking highways. So far, 211 landslides have been reported, with 83 road blockages and 60 houses damaged or collapsed. Another 69 houses were vacated.
The school closure follows IMD warnings predicting more heavy rainfall and associated hazards.
At least five people, including three Myanmarese refugees, have died due to rain-related incidents. While Monday morning in Aizawl remained cloudy with no fresh rain, concerns persist.
The state power department reported damage to at least seven 33 KV sub-stations, leaving over one-third of Mizoram facing power outages. Schools had earlier been closed on May 29 and 30 for similar reasons.
Assam reels under rising floods
The flood situation in Assam remained severe on Monday, with rising water levels reported across multiple areas, officials said.
The Regional Meteorological Centre in Guwahati forecast moderate rainfall in most places, with heavy to extremely heavy rainfall likely in some areas.
According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), two more deaths were reported in Cachar and Sribhumi, taking the flood and landslide toll this year to 10. Around four lakh people across 15 districts are affected.
The Brahmaputra is flowing above danger levels at Dibrugarh and Nimatighat, along with tributaries Dhansiri at Numaligarh and Kopili at Kampur. The Barak and its tributaries–Kushiyara and Katakhal, are also above the danger mark, ASDMA said.
Cachar is the worst-hit with over one lakh people impacted, followed by 85,000 in Sribhumi and 62,000 in Nagaon.
Authorities are running 155 relief camps and centres in 12 districts, currently sheltering 10,272 people. In the last 24 hours, they distributed over 1,000 quintals of rice, 284 quintals of dal, 952 quintals of salt, and 4,700 litres of mustard oil.
Floodwaters have submerged 764 villages and damaged 3,524 hectares of cropland. Embankments, roads, and other infrastructure have also suffered damage.
Roads and houses in Assam's Silchar city were flooded, visuals from news agency ANI showed, and fallen trees littered the roads.
"We are facing a lot of challenges. I have a child, their bed is submerged in water. What will we do in such a situation? We keep ourselves awake throughout the night," Sonu Devi, a resident of Silchar, told ANI.
Manipur floods displace thousands
Over 19,000 people have been affected and 3,365 houses damaged in Manipur after days of torrential rain caused rivers to overflow and embankments to breach, officials said on Monday.
Thirty-one relief camps, mostly in Imphal East, have been set up to shelter evacuees. The worst-hit areas include Heingang, Wangkhei, and Khurai constituencies, along with Senapati district.
Forty-seven landslides have also been reported across the state in the last four days.
Several parts of Imphal and Imphal East remain inundated. Floodwaters entered key facilities including the All India Radio complex and the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS), where patients from ground-floor wards had to be shifted by local volunteers, SDRF, and NDRF teams.
Following the situation, the governor has extended the summer vacation for schools in Imphal East, Imphal West, and Senapati sub-division until further notice.
In neighbouring Bangladesh, at least four members of a family were killed in a landslide in the northeastern district of Sylhet, while hundreds of shelters have been opened across the hilly districts of Rangamati, Bandarban, and Khagrachhari on Sunday.
