The flood situation in Arunachal Pradesh worsened on Tuesday, with the death toll rising to four and more than 90,000 people affected after days of continuous rain, flash floods and landslides across the state.According to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), 90,499 people living in 251 villages spread across 202 administrative circles have been affected since June 24. The latest assessment shows that all 28 districts of the state have experienced the impact of the ongoing disaster, a sharp increase from the previous day when only 12 districts were reported to be affected. The latest fatality was reported from Sarti village in Anjaw district, where a person died in a landslide that occurred on June 28. Officials said the incident was reported to the authorities later. Earlier, three people had lost their lives in the flash floods that struck Possa in Keyi Panyor district on June 24.
The SEOC said 21 people were injured in the Keyi Panyor flash flood, while two women are still missing. Search and rescue operations are continuing in the affected areas. Among the worst-hit districts, Upper Siang recorded the highest number of affected people at 47,357, followed by Siang with 23,715, Kra Daadi with 8,171 and East Kameng with 5,895. Chief Minister Pema Khandu, accompanied by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, carried out aerial and ground surveys of the flood-hit Keyi Panyor district to assess the extent of the damage and review relief and rescue operations. Sharing details of the visit, Khandu said on social media, “Warmly welcomed Hon’ble Union Ministers Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan Ji and Shri Kiren Rijiju Ji on their visit to Arunachal to assess the flood situation and the damage caused by the recent calamity.” The visit followed a review by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who spoke with the chief minister a day earlier and assured all possible assistance from the Centre. Chouhan said he and Rijiju had visited the state on the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to assess the situation on the ground and ensure that adequate support reaches affected communities. He said the floods had caused heavy losses to agriculture, damaging standing crops such as paddy, oranges and bananas and affecting the livelihoods of farmers.
The SEOC report highlighted widespread destruction across the state. A total of 342 kutcha houses, 82 pucca houses and 37 huts have been damaged. The floods have also claimed the lives of 130 poultry birds, 613 small animals and six large livestock. Public infrastructure has suffered extensive damage, with 80 roads, 12 bridges, 18 culverts, 147 water supply schemes, 21 power lines, 60 electric poles, seven flood protection walls, four hydropower projects, four government buildings and two hospitals affected. Road connectivity remains disrupted in several districts, including Keyi Panyor, Papum Pare, East Siang, Upper Siang, Pakke Kessang, Lower Dibang Valley and Kra Daadi, where restoration work is underway. The disaster has also damaged around 1,010 hectares of forest land and 312.2 hectares of agricultural and horticultural fields, adding to the losses suffered by local communities. Rescue and relief operations are continuing with teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), state police, the Indian Air Force, civil aviation helicopters and local volunteers. Authorities have rescued stranded residents from Keyi Panyor and Lower Dibang Valley, while relief camps have been set up in the worst-affected districts. Food grains, medicines and other essential relief materials are being distributed to affected families.
