By NE NOW NEWS
Guwahati: Heavy rainfall triggered flash floods and a series of landslides in Arunachal Pradesh‘s Keyi Panyor district, leaving several people missing and severely disrupting rescue operations as road connectivity to the affected region remains cut off.
Officials said incessant rain caused the Possa River to swell rapidly, inundating parts of a NEEPCO project colony and washing away 18 semi-permanent structures. The flooding followed significant rainfall recorded at Yazali, where the region received nearly 73 mm of precipitation within 24 hours.
Keyi Panyor Deputy Commissioner Shweta Nagarkoti said rescue teams have so far managed to evacuate four people, including a geologist who had been stranded between landslide-hit stretches. Search efforts are continuing for five individuals who are still unaccounted for.
Authorities said the situation remains critical as landslides have blocked major routes leading to the district from both Itanagar and Ziro, preventing emergency teams and vehicles from reaching the affected site. Rescue personnel have been forced to travel on foot through difficult terrain to access the disaster zone.
The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) is currently carrying out relief and search operations, while the deployment of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been hampered by blocked roads. Efforts to mobilise aerial assistance have also faced setbacks due to adverse weather conditions, which have grounded helicopter operations.
Meanwhile, one spillway gate of the Panyor Lower Hydroelectric Project has been opened to regulate the rising water level and facilitate the controlled release of excess water.
The developing situation has prompted concern in Assam. The state government has issued an alert warning that increased water discharge from upstream areas in Arunachal Pradesh could lead to higher river levels and stronger currents in the Brahmaputra and its tributaries over the coming days.
Districts in Upper and North Assam, including Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Biswanath and Sonitpur, have been placed under close watch. Authorities have directed district administrations and line departments to monitor vulnerable locations, maintain preparedness, and initiate precautionary measures wherever required.
Emergency response agencies, including SDRF and NDRF teams, have been kept on standby for rapid deployment. Residents living in low-lying and flood-prone areas have been advised to remain alert and follow instructions issued by local authorities in view of the evolving situation.