Tripura floods kill 6, displace thousands
AGARTALA: Six persons were killed and thousands left homeless in Tripura after flash floods triggered mudslides following heavy rain in the last 48 hours, state government officials said on Monday.
The state emergency operation centre confirmed six deaths and injuries to three due to landslides. Around 17,840 people were living in 71 relief camps set up across the northeastern state, said officials, who described the scale of pre-monsoon rains as unprecedented.
Parts of the state capital Agartala and outskirts of West Tripura, Khowai, Gomati and Sepahijala districts were submerged while Haora and Gomati rivers were flowing above the danger mark.
Weather department has warned of more rain in the coming days in the state that has recorded 857.7mm of rainfall since March 1 against the annual figure of 2,200 mm.
Waterlogging and flash floods are common in the state’s low-lying areas during the monsoon.
Chief minister Biplab Deb visited the water-logged areas of his assembly constituency Banamalipur and also announced a compensation of ₹5 lakh each to the families of dead and ₹1 lakh for the reconstruction of dam- aged houses.
“The government will extend all possible assistance to the flood victims at the earliest,” Deb said.
The Centre had accepted the state government’s proposal to build two dams on the Haora river to check floods and store water for the dry spell, officer on special duty to chief minister Sanjay Mishra said.