Drinking water supply takes a hit in Arunachal Pradesh

ITANAGAR: Floods and landslides caused by unrelenting rain has led to a water supply crisis in parts of the state and disrupted surface communication in several others.

As of Saturday, drinking water supply systems feeding Pasighat in East Siang district - from water sources in Tebo, Bosing and Sippi towns - have been completely damaged by flood waters, especially at river crossings.

"Many water treatment plants have been clogged because of the unrelenting flow of silt-laden run-off from the feeder water source. We have restored some of them temporarily, except in a few remote areas," Tadung Padung, assistant engineer of public health engineering department, said, adding that the restoration will be completed once the flood waters recede.

The main supply line of the Mebo project in East Siang district has been badly damaged at the Sukkan Nallah crossing - where supporting pillars, anchor blocks and ductile iron pipes have been washed away in several places by the floods.

In the neighbouring Lower Dibang Valley district, there has been an unprecedented rise in the water level of the Dibang river, a tributary of the Brahmaputra. The new bridge over the river is in a precarious condition and the abutment of the bridge at Bomjir village is being eroded at a dangerous pace. Besides, landslides have blocked most of the kilometre-long Border Road Task Force road from Hunli to Desali. Chimpi Nallah and other streams around Hunli township are overflowing. Heavy rains also triggered flash floods at Paglam, inundating low-lying areas.

In the southern Namsai district, three major rivers - Lohit, Kamlang and Berring - are in spate. Three houses were damaged at Bihari Tapu while flood control structures on the Silatoo Bridge and Rongalibeel were damaged by the flood waters.

In Papum Pare district , a 10-year-old boy, reported to be missing since Thursday, is feared drowned in the Parang river.