North Lakhimpur: A sudden flash flood triggered by the swelling of the Sesa River wreaked havoc across western Lakhimpur on Wednesday, damaging roads and culverts, inundating several villages, and causing extensive losses to newly transplanted paddy fields.
The flood followed heavy rainfall in the Dhalpur-Simaluguri area along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border, which led to a sharp rise in the water level of the Sesa River, originating in the hills of Arunachal Pradesh.
The overflowing river breached the Hawajan-Ghogorabasti (Simaluguri) PWD road, currently under construction as part of the Assam Mala scheme, near a railway crossing. Within a few hours, floodwaters spread across dozens of villages, sweeping away poultry, household belongings, and damaging homes.
The worst-affected villages under the Narayanpur Revenue Circle include Phutabhog, Ranganajan, Naoghuli, Ruptoli, Nidansowa and Khalihamari.
The flash flood also damaged a culvert on the Kamalpur-Sesa rural road, disrupting connectivity in the area.
Agriculture suffered a major setback, with large stretches of farmland planted with fresh paddy seedlings washed away. Many fields were left covered with thick layers of mud and silt, raising concerns over crop losses during the ongoing cultivation season.
This is the second major flood caused by the Sesa River in less than a month. On June 19, the river breached the Hawajan-Simaluguri PWD road as well as the Dhalpur-Gohpur road following another spell of heavy rainfall.
Residents have expressed concern over the increasingly frequent and sudden rise in the river’s water level. Locals believe that possible cloudburst events in the hills of Arunachal Pradesh may be contributing to these flash floods.
Similar incidents, including the recent cloudburst-like event at Possa in Yazali near NEEPCO’s Panyor Hydroelectric Project on the Ranganadi River, have raised fears that rivers such as the Sesa, Pichola and Durpang could continue to witness sudden flooding during periods of intense rainfall.