AGARTALA: Two days of relentless storms and heavy rain have battered Tripura, claiming one life, injuring two others, damaging 2,208 houses and crippling a large portion of the state’s power infrastructure. Chief Minister Prof. (Dr.) Manik Saha reviewed the situation on Wednesday and assured that the administration is ready to act swiftly if conditions worsen.
CM Reviews Damage, Schools to Remain Open
Chairing an emergency review meeting at 4:30 PM on Wednesday, the chief minister assessed the damage across all eight districts and announced that schools, colleges, and anganwadi centres will remain open for now. He said, “The situation is currently under control,” and added that “all departments have been directed to remain fully prepared to respond to any emergency without delay.”
He further said, “District administration, Tripura State Disaster Management Authority, and police are working jointly to minimise risk and restore normalcy at the earliest.”
One death has been reported from Longtharai Valley, where a 49-year-old woman was struck by lightning. The chief minister ordered immediate compensation for her family. Meanwhile, a mother and her son were injured in Kakraban after a tree fell on them. Both are admitted to GB Hospital and are out of danger, though the son requires leg amputation.
According to the report revealed at the meeting, the damage to houses stands at 2,208 across the state. Unakoti recorded the highest number at 518, followed by South Tripura at 407, Dhalai at 318, Sepahijala at 250, Gomati at 222, West Tripura at 235, North Tripura at 136 and Khowai at 122.
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Power Infrastructure Crippled, Rs 5.59 Crore Loss
The storm has also dealt a severe blow to the state’s power infrastructure. According to a preliminary report by the Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL), 1,665 electric poles were snapped, 745.99 kilometres of conductor wire was torn and 103 distribution transformers were damaged across all 8 districts. The preliminary financial loss stands at Rs 5.59 crore.
TSECL Managing Director Biswajit Basu said, “This is not just a restoration operation, it is a fight to recover disrupted services and return normal life to people.” Workers across the state have worked continuously for up to 30 hours to restore power supply.
Meanwhile, Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath has been personally reviewing division-wise damage reports and expressed gratitude to the public for cooperating with TSECL workers through the crisis.
IMD Agartala Issues Red Alert, No Relief Before May 1
Heavy to very heavy rain and thunderstorms with winds reaching 60 kilometres per hour will lash Tripura for the next two days under a red alert, the IMD Agartala warned on Wednesday, with no relief expected through May 6. The department’s five-day warning bulletin placed all eight districts under red warning through April 30.
Heavy to very heavy rainfall of 7 to 20 centimetres is very likely at one or two places over Khowai, West, Sepahijala, Gomati and South districts on Day 1 and over West and Sepahijala on Day 2, with heavy rainfall likely across the remaining districts. Thunderstorms with lightning and squally winds of 50 to 60 kmph are very likely across all districts during this period.
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The alert level drops to yellow watch from May 1 to May 4, with heavy to very heavy rainfall still possible at isolated places over Sepahijala, South and other districts, before light to moderate rain continues through May 6.
Tripura’s Rainfall Data: Past 24 Hours and Three-Day Totals
Meanwhile, the past 24 hours have already left a mark across the state. Sepahijala recorded 82.5 mm of heavy rainfall, followed by West at 69 mm and South at 65 mm. Gomati received 61 mm, Khowai 50.5 mm, Dhalai 42.5 mm, North 24.1 mm and Unakoti 15.6 mm.
Over the three days from April 26 to April 29, Dhalai accumulated the highest total at 167.7 mm, with Sepahijala at 164.6 mm and Unakoti at 162.5 mm close behind. All districts recorded 100 per cent morning humidity, and South district posted the highest maximum temperature at 27.8 degrees Celsius.