UKHRUL: Heavy rainfall and a cloudburst triggered devastating flash floods in Arunachal Pradesh’s Keyi Panyor district on June 23 and 24, leaving one person dead, four missing, and causing extensive damage to homes and infrastructure. The impact of the floods has extended into neighbouring Assam with the floodwaters affecting more than 20,000 people in Dhemaji district, submerging agricultural land, damaging roads, and disrupting normal life.
According to district authorities, around 50 houses in the NEEPCO colony and nearby Poosa village were damaged by the floods. The NEEPCO colony houses officials associated with the Panyor Lower Hydroelectric Project, popularly known as the Ranganadi Dam.
The body of 35-year-old Nirmala Gupta, a teacher at NEEPCO’s Vivekananda Kendriya Vidyalaya, was recovered after hours of search operations. Among the four people still missing is a 13-year-old child. Personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), police, and local volunteers are continuing extensive search and rescue efforts.
The disaster has also disrupted connectivity across several districts. Kamle, Kra Daadi, Kurung Kumey, Lower Subansiri, and Upper Subansiri have been cut off due to what authorities described as “monsoon-related disruption.” Major landslides have been reported along key highways, while a strategic bridge connecting East Kameng and Pakke Kessang districts has sustained damage.
Expressing concern over the situation, Chief Minister Pema Khandu said officials across all 28 districts have been instructed to remain prepared for monsoon-related emergencies. “We cannot control nature, but disaster preparedness is a critical priority as Arunachal Pradesh receives heavy rainfall during the monsoon period,” he said, urging public cooperation during adverse weather conditions.
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According to the Regional Meteorological Centre in Guwahati and the Meteorological Centre in Itanagar, extremely heavy rainfall in the upper catchment areas has significantly increased river flows, posing a serious threat to downstream districts.
Authorities warned that the flood wave is expected to impact Assam’s Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Biswanath, and Sonitpur districts before moving further downstream towards Dhubri over the next one to two days. According to official estimates, more than 20,000 people across 84 villages have been affected by the floods so far. The floods have also submerged nearly 920 hectares of agricultural land, causing extensive damage to standing crops.
The flooding has once again drawn attention to concerns surrounding hydroelectric projects in the region. Several organisations had protested against large dam projects in Arunachal Pradesh last year, warning of potential environmental and disaster-related consequences. The Ranganadi Dam, built on the Ranganadi River which originates in Arunachal Pradesh and flows through Assam’s Lakhimpur district before joining the Brahmaputra, has long been a subject of concern among residents.
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A high alert has been issued in Lakhimpur following a sharp rise in the Ranganadi River’s water level after water was released from the upstream hydropower project. Acting on the directions of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Assam government has instructed all district administrations and line departments to remain on maximum alert. SDRF, NDRF, and other emergency response teams have been kept ready for deployment, while officials have been directed to closely monitor river conditions, embankments, and vulnerable locations.
Residents in low-lying and flood-prone areas have been advised to remain vigilant and move to safer locations whenever instructed by local authorities.
