Flash floods ravage Dima Hasao, highway submerged

SILCHAR: Flash floods, triggered by continuous downpour for the past three days, threw life out of gear in southern Assam , as several trucks were washed away, a bridge collapsed and a highway was submerged, bringing traffic in the region to a grinding halt.

Three trucks, engaged in loading bounders from the bed of a hilly river, were washed away, and the drivers just about managed to swim to safety.I

In a separate incident, a stone-laden truck was washed away by a swollen Kapili river at Pampu Ghat near the industrial township of Umrangsho in Dima Hasao district when the RCC bridge, which the truck was crossing collapsed. The driver and the cleaner, however, swam to safety. The strong current of the Kapili resulted in the collapse of the bridge on Langting-Hatikhali Road, said an official.

Another truck was washed away on NH-54 (extension) connecting Silchar with Haflong in flash floods from Barail hill. There was, however, no reports of casualties.

A 200-metre stretch of the East-West Corridor between Langting and Hatikhali in Dima Hasao was also submerged on Sunday. The corridor connects Silchar with Porbandar, and traffic was completely halted. The road communication between Haflong and Silchar was also disrupted due to landslides at several locations for the past two days.

District Disaster Management Authority has alerted all the departments to remain on alert round the clock. Deputy commissioner (Dima Hasao) Amitabh Rajkhowa said all the possible measures are in place for an eventuality. Work for restoration of the damaged roads has been taken up, he said.

Meanwhile, torrential rain completely washed out Diwali and Kali Puja celebrations in Barak Valley . Many pandals were inundated, and many puja organisers abandoned pandals and made arrangements for the puja in private or club houses.

"Our pandal is under knee-deep water. We have shifted our Puja to a different place," said a member of Universal Club Kali Puja Committee in Link Road locality of Silchar.

Heavy rain has caused a flash flood in the Silchar and other parts of Barak valley. The most affected areas of the town are Sonai Road, Hailakandi Road, Link Road, National Highway, Shillongpatty, Ambikapatty, Church Road, Club Road, Malugram, Vivekananda Road and numbers of lanes and bylanes of Silchar. They remained waterlogged due to incessant rain. An official of disaster management authority said there's prediction for more rains during next 24 hours.