The Centre has rushed in four teams of the NDRF, two M-17 choppers and boats to flood-ravaged Tripura as the situation turned grim on Thursday, with death toll rising to 14 and over 65,400 taking shelter in relief camps.
The unprecedented rainfall, that triggered floods and landslides at 2032 locations across the state, has caused widespread infrastructure destruction since Monday.
Tripura chief minister Manik Saha spoke to the Union home minister Amit Shah on Thursday during which the latter said that eleven NDRF teams would be sent to Tripura from different locations in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. Of this four NDRF teams comprising 120 personnel landed in Agartala within hours along with boats and relief materials.
Shah also assured that choppers will be arranged for airlifting stranded people. By Thursday afternoon, two MI-17 choppers were deployed to evacuate stranded persons, an official said.
An official statement said roads have been eroded/damaged at 1952 locations causing disruption and suspension of vehicular traffic in many areas.
Moreover, 844 electric poles, 151 transformers and two sub-stations have been damaged resulting in disruption/snapping of power supply.
“There has also been extensive crop damage, especially early and late kharif crops, due to the flood in all eight districts of the state. Around 5000 hectare of vegetables and 1.20 lakh hectare of paddy land is still under submerged condition causing extensive damage to the crop,” an official said.
The state continued to reel under heavy rainfall in the last 24 hours, especially South Tripura district (493.6mm in Bogafa), Sepahijala district (293.4 mm in Sonamura), West Tripura district (233 mm in Agartala) and Gomati district (155 mm in Udaipur). Gomati, South Tripura, Unakoti and West Tripura districts have been severely affected.
Continuous rainfall is hampering all restoration works, an official said, prompting the state administration to shut down all educational institutes till further notice on Thursday.
Water level of rivers in six locations — Dhalai, Khowai, South Tripura, West Tripura, North Tripura and Unakoti Districts — is above the danger mark.
“The entire state government machinery has been working round the clock to tackle with the unprecedented natural calamity,” Manik Saha said.
“I thank public representatives, social workers and the people at large for cooperating with the state government at this hour of crisis,” the chief minister said, who was seen wading through flood waters in capital to meet relief camp inmates.
