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State government pressed Assam Rifles along with NDRF, SDRF, Fire Service, Civil Defence, scouts and others on Saturday for rescue operations as hundreds of homes went under water in the city periphery due to surge of flash flood following Friday’s incessant rains. While city water logging ended the Howarh river swelled dangerously the rains lashed out at the upper catchment areas.
For the entire day Saturday the Howrah flowed above the danger level and a rat hole leakage was also reported, which however, been plugged up by the Water Resource Department immediately. At night the officials said the river water steadily receding.
Chief Minister Manik Saha who visited flood affected areas also held a high level meeting with concerned officials in his office chamber to take stock of the situation and rescue and relief positions.
Officials said a total of 2057 families have been rendered homeless in West Tripura and two other districts due to flash floods caused by incessant rainfall over the past 48 hours while 39 relief camps have been opened so far and at least 8000 people from 2057 flood-affected families have been sheltered with distribution of relief materials.
Principal Secretary of Revenue department Puneet Agarwal, Secretary of Agriculture, Fire and Emergency Services departments- Anindya Bhattacharjee and State Project Officer of State Disaster Management Authority Dr Sarat Kumar Das in a press conference briefed the media about the latest flood situation.
They said, total 39 relief camps are functioning in three districts– 37 in West Tripura (34 in Sadar sub-division and 3 in Jirania), one each in North Tripura and Khowai districts. In West Tripura, 1958 families are in the relief camps followed by 92 families in North Tripura and seven families in Khowai district.
Seven teams in Agartala city have been engaged for rescue operation. Out of them, three teams are from the Civil Defence, one each from Fire and Emergency Services, Assam Rifles, NDRF and SDRF. Total 95 members of the rescue teams are working particularly in Srilanka Basti, Harizon Colony, Indranagar, Moilakhola and Pratapgarh. Besides, BJP Yuva Morcha activists have joined hands to assist the people in this flood situation.
A joint team was constituted with the Principal Secretary (Revenue), Secretary (Urban Development), Commissioner of AMC, DM of West Tripura, SDM Sadar and other key officials. The joint team visited Battala Bridge, Pratapgarh, Baldakhal, Srilanka Basti and Chandrapur areas.
The water overflowing from the river Howrah entered and flooded the adjacent areas. Rescue teams have been deployed, SDM Sadar Ashim Saha told the reporters.
An official source said, the administration is keeping a close watch on the overall situation and extending necessary assistance to the people in need.
Cooked foods have been provided to the people in relief camps and food packets have been provided to the flood-affected people who have not taken shelter in the relief camps.
Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha on Saturday visited several areas in Agartala and its adjacent areas where flood caused by incessant rainfall since Friday affected the people.
The flood-affected people have been shifted to different relief camps opened by the administration and they have been provided food, drinking water and medicines and other essentials, he told the reporters.
The Chief Minister interacted with some of the people who took shelter in the relief camps including at Ramthakur Pathsala Girl’s School and assured that the state government would extend all necessary assistance.
Former Chief Minister and MLA Banamalipur Biplab Kumar Deb, who also visited several relief camps on Saturday, said in a Facebook post that he is personally monitoring the situation and in touch with the administration and local leaders. He appealed to the people of his constituency to contact his office (8794534501) in case of any assistance.
Meanwhile, reports coming from various sources claimed that a 54-year-old man has been flown away by flood water at Ranjit Nagar area under Ramnagar police outpost.
Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma held discussions with MD, TSECL and other senior officers regarding power supply during the flood situation.
He inspected the call centre of TSECL and to tide over huge calls being received during this flood situation instructed them to engage more staff from tomorrow (Sunday) onwards and also to deploy more vehicles for repairing from today.
According to Dev Varma, many of the transformers have been submerged and some others struck by lightning are being replaced.
Minister for ICA Sushanta Chowdhury visited the flood-affected areas under 6- Agartala assembly constituency and interacted with the people in relief camps. He also distributed relief materials.
An official report said, Agartala recorded 180mm rains up to 8.30 am on Saturday and then 12 mm rains till 2.30 pm on Saturday followed by Kailashahar in Unakoti district (88 mm), Bishalgarh in Sipahijala district (177.5mm), Khowai (70 mm), Amarpur in Gomati district (94 mm), Panisagar in North Tripura district (69mm), Kamalpur in Dhalai district (66mm) and Ambassa in Dhalai (84mm).
