Guwahati: he Assam govt on Wednesday sounded a high alert amid heavy rainfall and flash flood conditions in Arunachal Pradesh’s Lower Subansiri district, raising concerns over possible downstream impacts in Assam.In a post on X, the Assam chief secretary’s office stated that the state administration is closely tracking developments following reports of intense rainfall and flash floods in Arunachal Pradesh. A statement issued by the Information and public relations department said authorities are monitoring the situation as the weather event is likely to affect several downstream districts in Assam.According to the release, satellite and radar observations point to torrential rains resulting in flash floods and a sharp increase in river discharge in upper catchment areas.Flash floods have caused havoc in the Panyor Lower Hydroelectric Project area in Arunachal Pradesh, where one spillway gate has been opened to release excess water. The govt warned that continued heavy rainfall in the upper reaches could significantly raise water levels and increase flow velocity in the Brahmaputra and its tributaries in the downstream.“The flood wave is expected to first affect districts such as Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Biswanath and Sonitpur, before moving further downstream through other districts and eventually traversing up to Dhubri over the next one to two days,” the statement said.Acting on the instructions of CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, the chief secretary has communicated with all relevant agencies and directed them to remain on maximum alert. District administrations and line departments in vulnerable areas have been asked to maintain constant vigilance and undertake precautionary measures.“Teams of SDRF, NDRF and other emergency response agencies are being kept ready for deployment, and field-level officers have been directed to closely monitor river conditions and vulnerable locations,” it added.The advisory further urged residents to exercise caution. “Citizens are requested not to venture into inundated areas and to avoid travelling by country boats and other small vessels across the Brahmaputra and other rivers during this period, as river currents are expected to increase considerably,” read the advisory.State water resources minister Sushanta Borgohain visited flood-prone areas near the Arunachal Pradesh border in Lakhimpur district and expressed concern over the situation, particularly regarding the Ranganadi River, which has a history of causing extensive damage during floods.“It was a sudden flash flood in Arunachal and that’s why we are concerned,” he said.Meanwhile, the latest report issued by ASDMA on Wednesday evening showed a mixed picture. While the number of flood-affected districts increased from five to seven during the past 24 hours, the overall number of affected people declined to 13,913.Dhemaji district, bordering Arunachal Pradesh, remained the worst-hit area with 6,818 people affected. Other districts impacted by flooding include Nalbari, Cachar, Dibrugarh, Biswanath, Lakhimpur and Bajali.IMD reported that isolated places in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh received heavy rainfall ranging between 7 cm and 11 cm during the last 24 hours.For Thursday, the weather office has forecast heavy rainfall at isolated locations across Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur and Mizoram.
