Arunachal on alert even as Siang recedes

GUWAHATI: Even as Arunachal Pradesh braced for flash floods and the disaster relief agencies were on the standby, there were no reports of damage downstream in either Arunachal Pradesh or Assam.

The high alert was sounded after the level of Siang river rose dramatically as water overflowed from an artificial lake in neighbouring Tibet that had formed after a landslide blocked the river upstream where it is called Yarlung Tsangpo. According to the Central Water Commission (CWC), the water levels of Siang in Pasighat in East Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh peaked to 152.97 metres at 2 pm Saturday, just 1 cm above the warning level. The CWC said the levels started falling from 3 pm.

According to the CWC, the water levels in Dibrugarh district of Assam remained below the warning levels. In East Siang district, many people living near the banks of the Siang river have been evacuated to safer locations as a precautionary measure, officials said. According to reports, eight teams of the NDRF landed at the Advance Landing Ground in Pasighat Saturday morning from Bhubaneswar.

Deputy Commissioner of Upper Siang, Duly Kamduk said no damage has been reported in the district. The water level in Siang fell by more than 8 metres by 7 am in Tuting even as it rose in Pasighat.

The Siang becomes the Brahmaputra once it enters Assam. The CWC had cautioned people to avoid river front and river related activities after it lost data communication from the Chinese side.

State Department of Disaster Management too, had earlier conveyed to the district administration in East Siang to take precautionary measures to meet any eventualities as the water levels were expected to rise suddenly. The district administration had issued an alert as it cautioned people not to venture into Siang and peripheral areas to collect driftwood, fishing or swimming apprehending a sudden flash flood in the downstream areas in case the dam bursts.