Rain Triggers Flash Floods In Arunachal Pradesh's Lohit District, Many Houses Hit

Flash floods triggered by heavy rain struck several parts of Arunachal Pradesh's Lohit district on Wednesday.

Some infrastructure-related work, which had continued for the last 3 years in the adjacent hills, is said to be the main reason for the flash floods, as the construction activities had blocked some streams and rivulets in Shivaji Nagar, villagers said. Floodwater entered over 40 houses in Shivaji Nagar.

The Lohit district administration and disaster management officials have launched a rescue and relief operation to assist the affected people. Teams from SDRF and the police had also been deployed for rescue and relief operations.

The fresh flash flooding in the Lohit district comes at a time when a high-level team from the Centre, led by Nishtha Tiwari, Joint Secretary (Home), is set to visit the flood-affected state today.

During the first phase of the visit, the team will reach Koyu in the Lower Siang district by helicopter. The team will be visiting some of the flood-hit areas and interact with the locals for a first-hand knowledge of the devastation, Nari - Koyu MLA Tojir Kadu said.

However, bad weather conditifirst-hand a spoiler for the entire plan, Nari-Koyuorological Centre, Itanagar, on Tuesday issued an orange alert for five districts of Arunachal Pradesh, warning of thunderstorms, lightning, and spells of heavy to very heavy rainfall across parts of the state.

East Siang, Lower Siang, Lower Dibang Valley, Lohit and Namsai have been placed in the Orange Alert category, which calls for heightened preparedness by district authorities and residents. The forecast indicates that these areas may witness intense rain accompanied by thunder and lightning during the day.

A yellow alert has been issued for several other districts, signalling the possibility of adverse weather conditions and urging people to remain updated through official advisories. The districts under the Yellow category include Upper Subansiri, Siang, West Siang, Leparada, East Kameng, West Kameng, Kra Daadi, Lower Subansiri, Kamle, Papum Pare, Pakke Kessang, Changlang, Tirap, Longding, Anjaw and Dibang Valley.

The warning comes amid continued rain-related concerns across Arunachal Pradesh, where persistent monsoon activity can trigger landslides, flash floods, waterlogging, and disruption of road connectivity in low-lying settlements, areas close to rivers and streams. Locations along vulnerable hill roads are likely to face greater risk during periods of intense rainfall.

The Meteorological Centre has advised residents to avoid unnecessary travel through landslide-prone stretches, remain cautious near water bodies, and closely follow weather bulletins issued by official agencies. District administrations have also been urged to remain prepared for any emergency response required due to heavy rainfall and thunderstorm activity.