Heavy rainfall in Assam, Sikkim and North Bengal caused landslides and floods in multiple areas on Friday, compelling authorities to strengthen rescue and relief operations and evacuate the affected people to safer locations. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for North Bengal and Sikkim.

According to reports, floods in Assam have affected more than 67,000 people in 17 districts of the state. The affected districts are Biswanth, Chirang, Dhemaji, Golaghat, Baksha, Jorhat, Bongaigaon, Lakhimpur, Dhubri, Nagoan, Tamulpur, Kokrajhar, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Sivasagar and Majuli. The State Disaster Management Authority stated that major rivers, namely Brahmaputra, are flowing above the danger levels in several places. 

Reportedly, an embankment was destroyed in Majuli and 18 roads were damaged in Barpeta, Chirang, Majuli, Sonitpur, Golaghata, Sivasagar, Lakhimpur and Dhubri districts. Further, large-scale erosion was also reported from the state. A crop area of nearly 2770 hectares has been damaged. 49,535 animals were also affected in the northeastern state of Assam.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma asserted that excess water from the Kurichu dam in Bhutan was being released since the previous morning and district administration in the downstream area of Assam has been put on alert for possible flooding. 

On the other hand, in Sikkim, heavy rainfall triggered landslides in the state’s northern areas. Reportedly, a landslide in the 9th Mile area along Jawaharlal Nehru Road cut off the Nathu La Pass, that connects India and China and other tourist destinations such as Tsomgo Lake and Baba Mandir, from Sikkim’s capital Gangtok. In addition, North Sikkim has received heavy rains for the past seven days. 

Reports claim that on Thursday two people were swept away by the Kaljani river in North Bengal’s Alipurduar district. Furthermore, Torsa and Kaljani rivers in Alipurduar district crossed the danger mark after heavy rainfall for two consecutive days. Meanwhile in Jalpaiguri, the Army rescued nearly 72 people, who were stranded due to floods in Mechpara village near Hasimara.

The Manipur government is trying their best to restore peace in the violence-hit state. The BJP led government in the state on Monday issued a no work no pay policy for over one lakh employees who have been away from their offices since the violence broke out in the Manipur on May 3.

The initiative comes from the general administration who are trying to bring back things to normal in Manipur. The administrative secretaries have been asked to furnish details of employees who could not attend their official duties due to the prevailing situation in the state with details such as name, EIN and the present address by June 28.

CM Biren Singh said that the state government and the Centre had been working together to take control of the situation in Manipur. He claimed that no casualty had been reported since June 13. After the ethnic violence escalated in the state of Manipur, the Indian army had made all possible efforts to evacuate government employees and residents from both the hill and the valley districts.

Though the authorities claim that the violence in the northeastern state has been taken under control, the employees are still feared to return to work as they do not want to risk their life and safety. Notably, transfer is not an option for the employees of the general administration. Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi has received applications from senior officials asking to relocate them in some other department which is in their native district. CM Biren Singh chaired a cabinet meeting on June 12 in which it was decided that the ‘No Work No Pay’ rule would apply to all government employees.

Many employees asserts that the ‘no work, no pay’ rule is unfair as the government could not expect the employees to get back to work immediately as the wounds of the ethnic clashes were still fresh in minds of the people.

As the flood situation got worse in Assam on Thursday, nearly 4.96 lakh people have been affected in 22 districts of the state. One person died in Tamulpur after he was drowned in flood waters.

As per the latest report by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), the flood situation in Bajali district is worse as nearly 2.60 lakh people have been affected in the district. The descending list is then followed by 77702 people affected in Nalbari, 65221 people in Barpeta, 25613 people in Lakhimpur, 24023 people in Baksa, 19208 people in Tamulpur, 13704 people in Darrang, 6538 people in Kokrajhar district.

The flood has affected 3,46,639 domestic animals have also as reported by ASDMA.

The water level of the Brahmaputra River, which is the lifeline of North-Eastern states in India is flowing above the danger level mark as a result of torrential rain at Neamatighat in Jorhat district. At Dhubri, the Beki River at Road Bridge, Manas River at Nh Road Crossing, Pagladiya River at Nt Road Crossing, and Puthimaririver at Nh Road Crossing has become a reason for floods in Assam. 

The Regional Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert for Friday, asking people to be on watch and remain updated for heavy rainfall and thunderstorm in Assam.

Many disaster relief agencies including National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Fire & Emergency services, and Civil Defence personnel are engaged in rescue operations, and in the last 24 hours, they have been successful in rescuing 561 flood-affected people. Many people have taken shelter in these relief camps set up by the district administration. 

The administration has also set up relief distribution centers in 11 flood-hit districts in order to give a sigh of relief to the people affected. Moreover, many have taken shelter on roads, highlands, and embankments also to save themselves from the disaster. Many NGOs and locals are also actively participating in helping the state in coping up with the disaster.