Arunachal Pradesh reels from floods, rainfall still at 33% deficit

ITANAGAR: Incessant rain for the past couple of days has thrown life out of gear in Arunachal Pradesh with several districts witnessing landslides and a flood-like situation.
In the past 36 hours, the state capital recorded rainfall of 119.4 mm. The Met department has predicted moderate to heavy rainfall, accompanied by thundershowers, for the next few days. But despite incessant rain, Arunachal is reeling from deficit rainfall of 33%.Fifty per cent of the districts in the state have deficit rainfall of more than 40%, according to data in the Met department website.
Torrential rain triggered landslides in various places of Itanagar where commuters are facing a tough time while travelling through NH-415 as highway widening work is on. Surface communication in various parts of West Siang district have also been disrupted.
According to an official report, part of an RCC culvert situated at a distance of 2 km from Aalo, the district headquarters, has been washed away. The RK Mission School situated at the Aalo-Likabali road is cut off from the rest of the township. Though restoration work is on, permanent repair might take two to three months, the report said.
The Aalo-Pangin and Pasighat road is also bearing the brunt of landslides at different locations following which the commuters were stranded for nearly six hours on Sunday. The newly constructed highway is reportedly sinking as deep cracks have developed at different portions near Renging in East Siang district, the report said.
Another report from East Siang district stated that erosion by the Siang is posing a serious threat to human habitations and bridges along the Mebo-Dhola road in Mebo subdivision of the district. The river, which has already swallowed several acres of fertile cropland at Motum on its left bank, is gradually approaching Borguly and Serum villages.
At least five eastern districts of the state have been reeling from acute power shortage even as the power department is making efforts to restore electricity in the affected areas. The affected districts are East Siang, Lower Dibang Valley, Dibang Valley, Namsai and Lohit, said a source in the power department.
Power supply to these districts remain snapped after a 132-KV power transmission line tower collapsed in Babuk village in East Siang district on July 17 last due to landslides.