Agartala: More than 2,000 people have been displaced due to flooding in Sadar subdivision of West Tripura district triggered by torrential rain, officials said on Saturday.
They have taken shelter in 20 relief camps. However, no fatality has been reported so far, they said.
West Tripura district has received 155 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours, causing inundation of several low-lying areas on the banks of Howrah River.
“Water level in Howrah River is flowing slightly above the danger level, posing threat to several low-lying areas in southern parts of Agartala. The situation may worsen if it rains more,” Sadar Sub-divisional Magistrate Ashim Saha said.
The incessant rains have crippled life in the capital city of Agartala, bringing normal activities to a standstill.
Heavy showers inundated all the major roads and markets. School buses and private vehicles were found stuck in floods while in several offices, employees had to be rescued by civil defence volunteers.
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Firemen had to rescue 37 school children from the Auxilium School bus that got stuck in flood waters in Agartala on Friday.
Several houses were completely submerged and water levels even reached the chest in several parts. Power outages were reported from parts of the city, but supply was restored by and large by late Friday night.
Police, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and administration are jointly conducting relief and rescue operations in the affected areas.
Principal Secretary of Tripura Revenue Department Punit Agarwal said the 16 pumps installed at various parts of Agartala city are working in full strength to pump out the overflowing water.
“Six NDRF teams are already doing their works. We have issued toll free numbers for every district and alerted the response teams. We want to convey a message that no one has to panic as we are working day and night to get hold of the situation as soon as possible,” said Agarwal.
Chief Minister Manik Saha visited the Integrated Command and Control Centre on Friday night and took stock of the situation. He asked officials to take all possible steps to handle the situation and assess the damage caused by the floods.
State Disaster Management Authority Project Officer Sarath Kumar Das said although rain has stopped since Friday midnight, Agartala may receive a heavy downpour around noon as predicted by the MeT Department, and an alert has been sounded.
“Water is flowing into Howrah River from Barmura Hill, which is causing it to swell. We are keeping a close watch on the situation and taking necessary measures,” he said.
Considering the situation, the education department has ordered shut down of the schools and educational institutions.
Meanwhile, Agartala Municipal Corporation Commissioner Dr Shailesh Kumar Yadav has appealed to the residents of the city not to venture out unless it’s an emergency.
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