Northeast floods: Amit Shah dials Assam CM, assures help as thousands affected; IAF rescues stranded people in Arunachal

Northeast floods: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday spoke with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to review the flood situation in several parts of the state and assured him of the Centre's full support in managing the crisis, officials said.

In Arunachal Pradesh's Lower Dibang Valley district, an Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter rescued four people stranded on an island in the Sisiri River in the Dambuk area on Monday.

Assam floods

According to the officials, Shah enquired about the extent of damage caused by rising river levels across the state. In a post on social media, Sarma mentioned he had briefed the Union home minister on the relief and rehabilitation efforts currently being carried out in the flood-affected areas.

"He has also assured us all possible support and assistance from the Government of India to deal with this situation. I thank Hon'ble Home Minister Shri @AmitShah Ji for his phone call and enquiring about the flood situation in Dhemaji," Sarma said on X.

According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), nearly 16,000 people have been affected by floods across 69 villages in four revenue circles of Dhemaji district.

On Sunday evening, Sarma said he was closely monitoring the flood situation as it unfolded in the district. He expressed concern over the impact on residents and said the state government stood firmly with those affected during the crisis.

Sarma added that the government was deploying all available resources to ensure the immediate safety of affected residents and support their long-term rehabilitation.

The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) said train services between Archipathar and Simen Chapari stations had been suspended indefinitely after a railway bridge was damaged by severe erosion caused by heavy flooding.

"This bridge, constructed in 1965 and later converted to broad gauge, was in good and safe condition, but due to washing away of a large portion of the river bank during the heavy rains, one of its piers became unstable," it mentioned in a statement.

Landslides hit Arunachal Pradesh

Heavy monsoon rainfall continued to batter the state on Monday, triggering widespread flooding and landslides that caused extensive damage to roads, bridges and houses across the state.

The downpour also caused extensive damage to the Roing–Anini road in the district, with flash floods washing away roads and bridges at several locations. In Anjaw district, an excavator operator was feared dead after a massive boulder crushed the machine during highway construction work near Sarti village on the road to Walong on Sunday night.

Rescue operations were halted overnight because of poor visibility and the threat of additional rockfalls, but resumed early on Monday.

Police personnel from the Walong Outpost and Hawai Police Station were assisting with the rescue operation, while the affected stretch of road was closed to traffic until debris removal was completed. Officials said the excavator operator's condition had not yet been officially confirmed.

East Siang district remained on high alert as continuous rainfall triggered landslides, flash floods and road washouts, severely disrupting connectivity across the region.

Only two of the 11 major roads affected by the heavy rain had been reopened, while the remaining nine, including the Pasighat-Pangin, Pasighat-Mariyang-Yingkiong, Pasighat-Mebo-Dambuk-Bomjir, Bilat-Ledum and Pasighat-Yagrung-Ledum-Tene roads—continued to remain blocked or unsafe for travel.

As per an official report, the left-side approach to the Letong Bridge on the Pasighat-Runne-Takilalung road had been washed away, while roads near Balek Secondary School, Ranaghat Bridge and the Poglek River crossing remained inaccessible.

Continuous rainfall caused the river to change its course, leading to floodwaters inundating at least 10 houses in the Ledum area. One house was almost entirely submerged, two cattle were washed away, and a community toilet and a rice mill were left on the verge of being submerged. Three shops also sustained damage.

Officials said around 12 families had been relocated to safer areas. Most of the displaced residents were staying with relatives, while a community Dere (prayer hall) had been designated as a temporary relief shelter.

No deaths or missing persons had been reported. However, the collapse of a key bridge disrupted connectivity in the affected area.

Five people remained missing after flash floods ravaged the NEEPCO colony at Poosa, causing extensive damage to houses and roads and triggering multiple landslides.

Preliminary assessments indicated that around 30 houses in the colony were either completely destroyed or washed away. In the nearby Possa and Pitapool areas, 10 more houses were destroyed, while another 14 sustained partial damage.

Overall, 128 households were affected by the disaster, with 60 displaced residents currently taking shelter at a relief camp set up on the NEEPCO campus.

Officials said the heavy rainfall had impacted several districts, including Keyi Panyor, Papum Pare, Kra Daadi, Kurung Kumey, Lower Subansiri, Kamle, Upper Subansiri, East Siang, Leparada, Lower Siang, Lower Dibang Valley and Anjaw. They added that relief and rescue operations had been intensified across all the affected areas.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast more heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning over East Siang and adjoining districts, including Leparada, Lower Siang, Lower Subansiri and Papum Pare.

In view of the continuing adverse weather, authorities have advised residents to avoid travelling through landslide-prone and flood-affected areas unless absolutely necessary. They have also urged people to follow official advisories until weather conditions improve.