IMPHAL, June 14 - The flood situation in Manipur continues to be grim as several houses in the five valley districts are still under water. Floodwaters have begun to recede in some areas after a breached embankment was repaired today.
The first deluge of the year has reportedly claimed three lives, including that of a seven-year-old boy. Manipur experienced five waves of flood last year.
The disaster response force, including the State police, paramilitary personnel and local volunteers, have undertaken relief and rescue operations, and helped the marooned people. Work is going on in full swing to clear the landslide along the Imphal-Jiribam highway. As many as 400 goods-laden trucks have been stranded due to the landslide for the last few days.
Chief Minister N Biren Singh, who is personally monitoring the flood situation in the State, informed media persons on Wednesday that he had asked the departments concerned to arrange for road diversions to restore normal traffic at the earliest. He also said that all efforts are being made by the Government to repair the breached river embankments at different places of the valley districts.
Meanwhile, the district authorities, in association with the local people, have started distributing relief materials to flood-affected families taking shelter in 101 relief camps set up in the five valley districts.
According to preliminary reports of the Directorate of Relief and Disaster Management, as many as 1.5 lakh people have been affected in the current flood. No information is available on the total area of croplands affected.
All government offices and educational institutions in the valley districts except the departments of police, fire services, water resources, health, revenue, public works, public health engineering, relief and disaster management, municipality and the DC�s offices, remained shut for the second day on Thursday on account of the flood. They will remain closed till June 15, an official order stated.
The rainfall recorded in the State from January till June 13 is 580.5 mm, which is comparatively higher than that recorded in 2016 (246.79 mm) and 2017 (498.41 mm), according to sources at the Directorate of Environment.
