By Dipak Kurmi
The arrival of the southwest monsoon in Northeast India has unleashed a devastating onslaught, claiming at least 19 lives and displacing over 12,000 people across five states in a mere three days as of May 31. Relentless rains have triggered flash floods and landslides across Assam, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, and Tripura, washing away roads, collapsing buildings, and submerging vast tracts of land. The India Meteorological Department (IMD), in collaboration with the North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC), has issued red alerts, warning of further downpours that could exacerbate the crisis until June 5. Rescue efforts, hampered by continuous rainfall and damaged infrastructure, are underway, but the scale of this disaster underscores the Northeast’s acute vulnerability to extreme weather, a vulnerability compounded by geography, climate change, and systemic unpreparedness.
Assam, the epicenter of this catastrophe, has been battered by flash floods and landslides, with the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) reporting severe impacts. A portion of National Highway 17 in Singra, Boko LAC of Kamrup district, was washed away, severing critical connectivity. Cachar, Guwahati, and Lakhimpur districts are grappling with severe urban flooding, displacing over 10,000 people and prompting the opening of relief camps. In Lakhimpur, a breached embankment caused flooding across vast tracts, with rainfall ranging between 90 and 134 mm in 24 hours. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma attributed the flooding to upstream rains in Meghalaya, announcing a joint response with his Meghalaya counterpart. The ASDMA bulletin detailed that floodwaters have submerged 11 villages across Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, and Golaghat districts, affecting 1,856 people, with concerns of further inundation in North Lakhimpur’s revenue circle. In Guwahati, ministers visited flood-affected areas near ISBT Beltola, intensifying drainage clearance efforts to provide immediate relief. The city, hit by massive waterlogging, has seen power cuts to prevent electrocution, as Sarma noted. The ASDMA reported five deaths in Kamrup Metropolitan district, including three women in the Bonda area on Guwahati’s outskirts, as confirmed by Urban Affairs Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah. Floods in urban areas have impacted five revenue circles across Kamrup Metropolitan, Kamrup, and Cachar, affecting 10,150 people, with two camps and one relief distribution center opened. Eight revenue circles in Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, and Golaghat also reported urban flooding. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel are evacuating people, while special casual leave was announced for government employees in Kamrup and Kamrup Metropolitan districts on May 31, with educational institutions closed in these areas.
Mizoram’s Lawngtlai town faced a catastrophic landslide on May 29, which crushed three buildings in the busy Chanmari area, trapping at least eight people, including Myanmar refugees staying in a hotel. Two survivors were injured, but blocked access routes and insufficient equipment have severely hampered rescue operations. The landslide also severed Lawngtlai’s connection to National Highway 54, isolating the region and exacerbating the crisis in Mizoram’s southernmost district, Siaha. Kamrup Metro district reported five deaths from landslides, with floods affecting over 12,000 people and causing extensive waterlogging and flash floods across 17 urban localities in Kamrup Metro and Cachar.
Meghalaya has reported a grim toll of seven deaths by May 31, with over 1,000 people affected across 49 villages in 10 districts. Landslides in West Khasi Hills, Ri-Bhoi, and South West Khasi Hills (Mawkyllung) caused significant property damage, while flooding in Kalatek Shella washed away two homes, and strong winds in Maheshkola, Ranikor block, disrupted power supply. The deceased include Mebanskhem Mukhim, 14, from Kharang, Mawkyllung block, and A Sangma, 7, and Brime D Sangma, 13, from Kentapara, Dadenggre block, West Garo Hills, killed in a lightning strike. Epish N Sangma, 26, drowned in the Maspara River under Rampur, while Nikolas Kharpran, 36, was claimed by the Gijang (Singra) river in Kyrdeng, Bhoirymbong block. Klosilya Kharkongor, 45, from Lumkyntung, perished in a landslide in East Khasi Hills, and Samborlang Tariang, 35, drowned amid a downpour in Mawbynna, Pomlakrai, East Khasi Hills. Relief operations are ongoing, with aid distributed to affected families, but authorities struggle to assess the full extent of the damage and restore essential services. The IMD forecast for Meghalaya predicts extremely heavy rainfall in the coming hours, with light to moderate rains, thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds of 30-40 kmph expected over the next 3-4 days in districts like East Jaintia Hills, South West Khasi Hills, and Ri-Bhoi. To aid weather tracking, the IMD has launched a WhatsApp channel, IMD Shillong-Meghalaya.
Arunachal Pradesh has confirmed nine deaths due to landslides, with a vehicle carrying seven people swept away on the Bana-Seppa stretch of NH13 in East Kameng, and two laborers killed in a separate slide in Lower Subansiri. Overflow from the Sigen River inundated areas in Upper Subansiri, affecting over 100 families. The IMD warns of continued heavy rainfall until June 5, with high flash flood risks across multiple districts. Tripura reported one drowning in Jirania, with over 200 people displaced as heavy rains damaged 106 homes and blocked roads. The latest IMD forecast recorded rainfall in Agartala and Jirania at 20.8 mm and 18.5 mm, respectively, as of 5:30 pm on May 31, while Bagafa and Sabroom in South Tripura received 26.5 mm and 22 mm. In North Tripura, Ashapara and Kadamtala recorded 29 mm and 16.5 mm, respectively, with Kailashahar in Unakoti and Gandachhera in Dhalai receiving 32.2 mm and 33 mm. Manipur’s Imphal West and Imphal East, along with Noney, saw rainfall ranging from 17 mm to 24 mm on May 31, with the Imphal River and its tributaries breaching banks, flooding parts of Imphal East and West. Imphal West recorded 198 mm of rain in a single day—four times the previous day’s total—prompting evacuations amid reports of cracks and overflow.
The IMD and NESAC have issued flood early warning system (FLEWS) alerts for several districts, urging preparations for embankment breaches, flash floods, and road washouts from May 31 to June 4, covering Upper and Lower Assam districts. The IMD warns that with the monsoon just beginning, the Northeast faces prolonged hardship without scaled-up preventive measures, as floodwaters rise swiftly in urban areas, necessitating timely evacuation, better drainage, and embankment repairs. Assam’s Chirang, Baksa, Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Bajali, Tamulpur, Darrang, and Udalguri districts were on red alert on May 31, with Sarma noting an “abnormal situation” due to massive cloud cover over the Northeast, exacerbating the crisis in Guwahati.
The Northeast’s vulnerability stems from its unique geography, nestled between the eastern Himalayas and the Bay of Bengal, where some of the world’s highest monsoon rainfall occurs. Steep terrain, loose soil, and deforestation heighten landslide risks, while rapid urbanization has outpaced drainage infrastructure, intensifying urban flooding. Climate change amplifies these challenges, with a 2024 study by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology noting a 15% rise in extreme rainfall events in the Northeast over the past decade. The region’s Zone V seismic activity further increases risks, as tremors can destabilize hillsides during heavy rains. A 2024 report from the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre estimated that over 2.5 million people were displaced in India in 2022 due to natural disasters, underscoring the recurring nature of such crises.
Relief efforts face significant hurdles. In Guwahati, officials are intensifying drainage clearance, but the scale of the disaster strains resources. In Mizoram, blocked routes and insufficient equipment hinder rescues, while in Assam, the ASDMA struggles to manage over 10,000 displaced people. The central government has deployed NDRF teams—12 in Assam and four in Manipur—but continuous rain slows operations. Fragile infrastructure, with highways like NH17 and NH54 severed, isolates communities and delays aid. The human toll is profound, with families mourning loved ones like Mebanskhem Mukhim and Epish N Sangma, and Myanmar refugees in Mizoram facing new traumas. Economically, the destruction of homes, crops, and infrastructure deepens distress. As the Northeast braces for more rainfall, this crisis highlights the urgent need for resilient infrastructure, early warning systems, and community preparedness to mitigate the monsoon’s devastating impacts.
(The writer can be reached at dipakkurmiglpltd@gmail.com)
