Over 19,000 affected as severe floods hit Manipur, 800 rescued

More than 19,000 people have been affected by floods in Manipur caused by overflowing rivers and breaches in embankments, officials said on Monday.

They said 3,365 houses have been damaged and 19,811 people affected by floods triggered by incessant torrential rains during the last four days.

Thirty-one relief camps have been opened mostly in Imphal East district to mitigate the hardships of the people who have been evacuated from their homes and localities.

Heingang, Wangkhei and Khurai assembly constituencies in Imphal East district are worst affected along with Senapati district.

Forty-seven landslides too have been reported in different parts of the state during the last four days.

Several localities in the state's capital Imphal, and many parts of Imphal East district have been inundated after a swollen river breached embankments and overflowed in Khurai, Heingang and Checkon areas, they said.

Waterlogging was reported on the premises of several offices, health facilities, and establishments, including All India Radio Imphal complex, and state-run Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences, after the Imphal river overflowed in the Checkon area, one of the officials said.

Several patients, who have been undergoing treatment at Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences at Porompat in Imphal East district, were shifted to other hospitals on Sunday evening as floodwaters entered the premises of the health facility, he said.

Local clubs, volunteers, SDRF and NDRF personnel joined hands to shift the patients after floodwaters entered the female orthopaedic and surgery wards, located on the ground floor, the official said.

Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla visited several inundated areas of Imphal town even as the army and Assam Rifles personnel rescued nearly 800 people from submerged localities in Imphal East, the worst-affected district, they said.

Bhalla, accompanied by Chief Secretary PK Singh and other senior officials, visited Kangla Nongpok Thong, Lairikyengbam Leikai, and Singjamei Bridge in Imphal and assessed the overall situation, a Raj Bhavan statement said.

The water level of the Iril river in Imphal East district crossed the danger mark on Sunday but is yet to breach the embankments, he said.

In view of the incessant rain, the governor announced the extension of the summer vacation in schools in Imphal East and West districts and the Senapati sub-division of Senapati district until further orders.

Parts of the Senapati district have been affected after the Senapati river overflowed near Viewland colony, the officials said.

The Indian army and Assam Rifles rescued approximately 800 civilians on Saturday, a statement said.

Troops of Assam Rifles were deployed with quick reaction teams to the most affected locations in Porompat, Wankhei , Sanjenthong, Palace Compound, New Checkon, Khurai Heikrumakhong Heinang, Soibam Leikai, Wangkhei Angom Leikai, Nongmeibung Raj Bari in Imphal East district and adjoining areas.

"The total number of people rescued reached approximately 800 people, including 10 to 20 differently abled and aged individuals," the statement said.

The authorities are coordinating with all relevant departments and agencies to ensure timely relief and rehabilitation efforts, another statement said.

Meanwhile, Lok Sabha MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam has urged the governor to declare the flood situation a "state calamity".

In a letter to Bhalla, Akoijam said the declaration would enable the activation of institutional measures to deal with the present situation.

Manipur Congress President Keisham Meghachandra Singh on Sunday alleged that the water resources department has failed to control floods in various vulnerable areas of the state.

He made the remarks during a visit to flood-affected areas of the Heingang constituency of former chief minister N Birren Singh.

The Congress leader stressed that residential and agricultural areas have been submerged by overflowing rivers as the construction of various retaining walls remained incomplete.