Meghalaya floods: Death toll reaches 3, affects over 1.55 lakh, govt seeks assistance of Centre

Meghalaya’s south West Garo Hills is on the edge as floods continue to inundate low lying areas, leaving three people dead.

Sources said the death toll came after a teenager drowned in the flood water at Monabari village under Betasing block, Meghalaya.

It came after a 71-year-old woman along with her child drowned in the deluge outside their home in the localities of Fakirpara and Daspara of Mahendraganj town.

Flood struck the Garo Hills on July 16, inundating as many as 40 villages in the Mahendraganj, Zikzak region.

So far, around 1.55 lakh people have been affected in the flood in the past week in the northeastern state.

As the inundation affected the lives of over 1.55 lakh people in the state, the district administration has set up 42 relief camps, where over 15,000 people are taking shelter, sources said.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams from Guwahati and two State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams from Tura have been stationed in the flood-affected areas.

Meanwhile, Conrad Sangma-led Meghalaya government has sought assistance from the Centre in order to tackle the flood situation.

Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has been holding meetings with all stakeholders in the state.

The state authorities, in the past few days, have taken all the possible measures to ensure that the number of people affected is reduced.

Meghalaya Home Minister James Sangma said, "We expected that the flood water will recede, but it seems futile at the moment. The district administration is doing its level best to provide relief materials to the affected people. As the situation is quite grim, we are seeking the Centre’s assistance."

(Inputs from Hemanta Kumar Nath in Guwahati)