Four more killed in northeast floods; 3.64 lakh affected in Assam; 1,500 tourists stranded in Sikkim

The Hindu

6 days ago

Guwahati/Agartala
More than 3.64 lakh people across 19 districts of Assam have been affected in a wave of floods that disrupted road transport and train services on Sunday (June 1, 2025).
Mild to heavy rainfall continued to batter large swathes of the rest of the northeastern region, with floods and landslides damaging more than 900 houses in Manipur and Mizoram, while 1,500 tourists were left stranded in northern Sikkim.
Four people – two in Assam and one each in Mizoram and Tripura – died on Sunday (June 1, 2025), taking the death toll due to rain-induced floods, flash floods, landslides, rockfalls, and lightning across the northeast to 34, since May 28. Ten of these victims were in Assam, nine in Arunachal Pradesh, six each in Meghalaya and Mizoram, two in Tripura, and one in Nagaland.
On Sunday (June 1, 2025), Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke with the Chief Ministers of Assam, Arunachal, and Sikkim, and the Governor of Manipur to take stock of the situation.
Rising rivers
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Mr. Shah had offered all possible assistance to deal with the situation. 'I have briefed him on the measures being taken. We are grateful for his concern and support,' he said.
Mr. Sarma warned the people of Assam to be wary of a sharp rise in river water levels due to heavy rainfall at Kibithoo (17 cm), Hayuliang (15 cm), and Kalaktang (10 cm) in Arunachal Pradesh. 'Assam is witnessing intense rain in Silchar (42 cm), Karimganj (35 cm), and Hailakandi (30 cm). People living in low-lying and riverbank areas are advised to stay alert and follow local advisories,' he said.
The submergence of tracks in the Karimganj section of southern Assam's Barak Valley forced the Northeast Frontier Railway to cancel several trains.
Imphal hit hard
The floods in Manipur affected more than 3,800 people and damaged at least 883 houses. The Imphal East district suffered maximum damage, as some major rivers breached embankments, flooding vast swathes of the State's capital and the surrounding localities.
Large-scale damages were also reported from the hilly Kangpokpi district and Senapati beyond.
A delegation of the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC), led by its president Keisham Meghachandra Singh, visited the flood-affected areas of the Imphal East district. Mr. Singh criticised the Water Resources Department for its failure to implement adequate flood management measures in flood-prone areas across Manipur.
'Several anti-erosion and flood control projects initiated under the Flood Management and Border Area Programme of the Union Ministry of Water Resources remain incomplete,' he said.
Deadly landslides
Mizoram continued to be one of the worst-affected States in the region, with officials recording landslides and landslips from 211 locations. At a review meeting headed by Chief Minister Lalduhoma, officials said 60 houses had collapsed while 69 more were deserted for fear of collapse, and seven power sub-stations suffered extensive damage, while roads were blocked at 83 locations.
In Sikkim's Mangan district, some 1,500 tourists were stranded as roads were blocked following landslides. The district's Superintendent of Police, Sonam Detchu Bhutia, told The Hindu that 1,350 of these tourists have been stuck at Lachung and 115 at Lachen.
'We have had to temporarily suspend the operation to locate the nine people missing after a vehicle fell about 1,000 feet into the Teesta River a few days ago,' he said. The missing passengers were tourists from Odisha and West Bengal.
IAF rescue
The Indian Air Force (IAF) rescued 14 people who were stranded in the middle of the flooded Bomjir River in the Lower Dibang Valley of Arunachal Pradesh. The IAF pressed into service a Mi-17 helicopter following requests from the Arunachal Pradesh and Assam governments.
'The rescued people – 13 from Assam and one from Arunachal Pradesh – were sent back home safely,' a defence spokesperson said.
The floods in Tripura affected over 1,300 families. Chief Minister Manik Saha said the flood-affected people in the West Tripura district were being moved to safer areas, adding that the administration was helping marooned people across the State.