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India.com
5 days ago
- Climate
- India.com
7 killed in Arunachal landslide, four dead in Mizoram flash floods as heavy rains, thunderstorms pound Northeast
Heavy rains triggered flash-floods, landslides in parts of Northeast, killing 7 people in Arunachal Pradesh, and four in Mizoram. (File/ANI) Arunachal landslide: A landslide killed seven people on the National Highway in Seppa West assembly constituency in Arunachal Pradesh on Saturday, while four persons died in multiple incidents of flash floods and landslides in Mizoram as heavy rains, accompanied by lightning and thunderstorms ravaged parts of India's Northeast region during the last 24 hours. 7 dead in Arunachal landslide In a statement on X, Arunachal Pradesh Home Minister Mama Natung expressed condolences over the loss of life in the landslide incident that occurred between Bana village and the Seppa area and advised people to avoid travelling at night during the monsoon season. 'It's very painful to hear about the tragic loss of seven lives in my Assembly constituency due to a landslide on NH 13 Road in between Bana & Seppa. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families during this difficult time. I request everyone to remain vigilant and avoid travelling at night during the monsoon season. My thoughts and prayers are with the families affected. May their souls rest in peace. Om Shanti Shanti,' Natung wrote in a post on X. Four killed in flash floods, landslides in Mizoram Meanwhile, as many as four people have died in multiple incidents of flash floods and landslides in Mizoram during the last 24 hours. Landslides have been reported in Aizawl, Lunglei, Champhai, Kolasib, Serchhip, Lawngtlai, Mamit, Saitual, Khawzawl and Hnahthial districts, damaging several houses and roads, and threatening lives of residents, according to the respective District Disaster Management Authorities in these districts. As per DDMA reports, three people of a family died in the flash floods in Champhai district, while another was killed in Serchhip district. One person was trapped under debris, but has been rescued, according to officials. 'I am deeply saddened by the tragic loss of lives and widespread damage caused by the recent heavy rainfall in Mizoram. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and those who have lost their homes and properties. I pray for the speedy recovery of all injured. I commend the tireless efforts of all involved in the rescue operations amidst this crisis,' Mizoram Governor General VK Singh expressed his condolences in a post on X. Singh urged residents to remain vigilant and exercise utmost caution as heavy rains continued to pound the Northeaster state. 'As heavy rains persist, I urge everyone, especially those in disaster-prone areas, to remain vigilant and exercise utmost caution,' he added. IMD issues heavy rains warning for Arunachal Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued warnings for Arunachal Pradesh for the coming week, till June 6, predicting 'very heavy rain, thunderstorm and Lightning' on May 31, ANI reported. Additionally, the local weather department has forecast 'heavy rain, thunderstorms and Lightning' from June 1 to 5 while predicting only 'heavy rain' on June 5 and 6. Earlier this week, the IMD issued a multi-hazard weather warning, predicting heavy rain, thunderstorms, and strong winds in many parts of the country. Several other regions including Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Lakshadweep, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura, Odisha and Telangana may experience heavy rain at isolated places, the weather department had said. Thunderstorms with lightning alone were also expected in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Konkan region in Goa, Madhya Maharashtra, Marathwada; and Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura. (With ANI inputs)
The Hindu
25-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Kerala Govt to form rapid response teams to handle containers, oil spills from Liberia container ship that sunk off Kochi coast
The State government has put the nine coastal districts of Kerala on alert and decided to constitute rapid response teams (RRTs) given the high possibility of drifting containers and oil spill from the Liberia-flagged vessel, MSC Elsa 3 that had capsized in the Arabian Sea, washing ashore. The RRTs will be deployed in all coastal districts for the safe removal of the containers and oil slicks, the State government said after a high-level meeting convened by Chief Secretary A. Jayathilak in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday. The meeting approved a set of measures for handling the contingency. Two RRTs each under the supervision of the Factories and Boilers Department will be deployed in Thrissur and the southern coastal districts. One RRT each will be deployed in the northern coastal districts. The RRTs will be equipped with excavators and cranes for handling the cargo. The Kerala State Pollution Control Board will lead two RRTs each in Thrissur and the southern coastal districts and one RRT each in the northern ones for handling oil slicks from the vessel. It is estimated that the containers have a higher probability of washing ashore in Alappuzha, Kollam, Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram districts, according to the government. The District Disaster Management Authorities, the police and other departments have been directed to provide all support to the RRTs. Coast Guard, Navy, and the Ports Department have been directed to deploy booms and skimmers for containing and removing any oil spills that approach the Kerala coast. Priority is being given to the safety of the public and the environment, and protecting the fisheries sector, the government said. The government has also issued directions to the local bodies to ensure that the public keep a safe distance from the containers or suspicious objects that have floated ashore. The public has been asked to maintain a distance of at least 200 metres from such objects and also call the emergency number 112 to alert the authorities. Fishing has been prohibited within 20 nautical miles of the sunken ship. Fishers also have been urged to call 112 on sighting the containers. According to the State government, the ship has sunk 14.6 nautical miles off Kerala. It is estimated that around 100 containers have fallen overboard from the vessel. The ship's fuel too has leaked, the government said.
The Hindu
16-05-2025
- Climate
- The Hindu
State government decides to speed up pre-monsoon arrangements
The State government has decided to complete the arrangements for the upcoming southwest monsoon season as quickly as possible. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Revenue Minister K. Rajan here on Friday. Regional level action plans will be prepared in the districts by May 20, Mr. Rajan said. Training sessions are planned for the prompt activation of the Incident Response Systems at the district and taluk levels. The meeting decided to update the lists of people inhabiting locations vulnerable to disasters. Friday's meeting also directed government departments to make sure that measures prescribed in the Orange Book of Disaster Management published by the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) have been adopted ahead of the monsoon. The updated version of this document is expected to be published by May 25. Relief camps Local bodies have been directed to publish details of the buildings identified for opening relief camps. A Tribal Hamlet Disaster Management Plan will be drafted as part of the arrangements for the monsoon season. As part of the measures, awareness programmes will be held in regions susceptible to landslips. Warnings will be displayed in tourist locations, the government said. Directions have also been issued for closely monitoring water levels in the reservoirs in the State and ensuring that shutters and spillways in dams are operational. Special district-level reviews will be held in all districts in the first weeks of June, July, August and September. These meetings will be chaired by either the Minister holding the charge of the district or the District Collector concerned. Sanitation works Local self-government institutions have been directed to launch pre-monsoon sanitation works and mosquito eradication measures. They have also been directed to ensure that drains and canals, culverts are cleared of waste and debris before the rainfall strengthens over the State. Equipment needed for rescue and relief operations will be stocked in all local bodies. The District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMA) will sanction the funds necessary for the purchasing the equipment prescribed by the KSDMA. Grama panchayats will be sanctioned ₹1 lakh, municipalities ₹ 3 lakh and Corporations ₹5 lakh.
The Hindu
10-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
No let-up in plans, all depts. to remain alert: Delhi CM
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta chaired a meeting with the heads of all Delhi government departments on Saturday to assess their disaster response preparations. Despite the ceasefire announced by India and Pakistan in the evening, the CM asked all government officials to remain alert. The CM directed the Revenue Department to immediately operationalise District Disaster Management Authorities and keep civil defence volunteers ready for prompt deployment. Ms. Gupta asked the department heads to establish communications with the armed forces, as well as officials at railway stations and IGI Airport, for a swift and coordinated response during crisis situations. She instructed officials to prepare to implement the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) wherever necessary. Speaking to mediapersons after the meeting, the CM said, 'Health Department officials were asked to ensure that hospitals are fully ready with functional ambulances, ample stock of medicines, backup power for ICUs, and clear duty rosters for doctors and paramedical staff.' A senior official said Ms. Gupta had directed Power Department officials to ensure prompt response in case of outages and prepare backup power sources for essential services. The Food and Civil Supplies Department was directed to monitor adequate stock at ration shops and keep the food supply chain operational. Civic agencies, including the Public Works Department and Municipal Corporation of Delhi, were told to maintain a list of contractors for emergency evacuation and reconstruction of damaged infrastructure. 'Prepare route maps' Moreover, the public transporters — Delhi Transport Corporation and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation — were asked to finalise emergency evacuation plans. 'The CM asked both to prepare clear standard operating procedures (SOPs), route maps, and fleet management plans to ensure safe and coordinated evacuation of people to secure locations during a crisis,' said the official.
Express Tribune
24-02-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Sindh Resilience Project encounters delays
Launched in 2016 with the support of the World Bank, the Sindh Resilience Project had aimed to reduce the risk and impact of floods and droughts in the province by increasing the capacity of relevant institutions to deal with natural disasters. The project, costing 202 million US dollars, was to be completed in 2021 however, till date the project remains in limbo. A total of 31 schemes were to be completed under the said project however, only 13 schemes were completed by 2024, while work on 15 others has not even started. Reportedly, the reason behind the delay in the project is a lack of proper planning and negligence in the implementation of the project. The institutions established to deal with natural disasters, the Rehabilitation Department, Sindh, and the Pakistan Disaster Management Authority, Sindh, focus more on relief activities after natural disasters, instead of disaster prevention. District Disaster Management Authorities are working in the districts of the province under the leadership of the respective Deputy Commissioner, but no separate setup of these District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs) has been established yet. This is the reason why separate accounts of DDMAs have not been opened in the respective districts, due to which the huge amount spent on the Sindh Resilience Project has not served its true purpose as most of it was used on rehabilitation works after natural disasters. According to the report of the Auditor General of Pakistan, the Pakistan Disaster Management Authority Sindh spent a large part of this money providing flour, sugar and other food items to the flood and drought affected people alongside helping in their relocation. This is in spite of the fact that this money was given by the World Bank to reduce the risks and impacts associated with natural disasters. This is one reason why natural disasters continue to risk lives in the province. According to Naseer Memon, an environmentalist and social worker, the risk of floods looms over Sindh. "The uncertainty of hydro-meteorological disasters is increasing due to changing weather patterns. There has been 50 per cent less rainfall than usual during the last five months. Therefore, the province is at risk of drought in the early days of summer, while Sindh will also face a shortage of agricultural water during the kharif crop season. If there is snowfall in the northern hilly areas during the coming two months, there are chances of improvement in the water level in the Indus River after June. Although the exact flood situation in the Indus River will be known by April, emergency arrangements will have to be made in Sindh in light of past experience," said Memon. According to Member of Sindh Assembly and Parliamentary Secretary for Relief and Rehabilitation Muhammad Ismail Rahu, work has been done to reduce the risks and effects of floods and droughts in Sindh. "The risk of natural disasters has increased due to climate change globally. It will take time to reduce the effects of floods and droughts in our country," said Rahu.
