Prasanta Mazumdar By

Express News Service

Guwahati: Flash floods and landslides, triggered by torrential rains, wreaked havoc in parts of the Northeast, particularly Manipur and Mizoram.

The situation is worse in Manipur. The entire Imphal Valley, which constitutes 40 of the state’s 60 Assembly constituencies, is under flood water, leaving tens of thousands of people displaced.

Chief Minister N Biren Singh told The New Indian Express that the Imphal Valley, as well as the hill districts, was in the grip of flash floods and landslides.

“The situation is critical. Almost the entire Imphal Valley resembles a sea. Some hill districts have been also badly affected by landslides. We are trying to rescue people and give relief to them. We are assessing the situation,” he said.

Singh also said that the national highway, which connects Manipur with southern Assam’s Barak Valley, had been cut off following landslides. The All India Radio (AIR) is submerged, resulting in the suspension of the services, Singh added.

In the wake of the floods, electricity services have been also affected. Educational institutes and government offices were closed in the valley on Wednesday. According to official sources, a number of river embankments caved in at various places as several rivers were in a spate flowing above the danger level.

In Mizoram, hundreds of families have been affected by flash floods and landslides in four districts including Aizawl.

As landslides blocked roads in more than 40 places thereby disrupting traffic, the state government declared a two-day holiday.

Mizoram Minister Lalthanzara told The New Indian Express that the road to Lengpui Airport, which remained blocked due to landslides, was cleared on Tuesday evening.

“The people suffered a lot as the landslides occurred in more than 40 places in four districts. Around 80 per cent of the blockage has been cleared,” he said.

Parts of Assam are also in the grip of the floods. The flooded Difolu river submerged National Highway 37 for a few hundred meters near the Kaziranga National Park affecting vehicular traffic. A swollen river in Karimganj district of Barak Valley swept away several houses, displacing a number of families.