NORTH LAKHIMPUR, Aug 14 - Tragedy struck Lakhimpur district on the eve of the Independence Day as four persons are feared dead in the sudden flash flood caused by the Singra river.
The river suddenly surged with heavy current, overflowing a large area of FC Grant No. 30 near Dolohat under Nowboicha Revenue Circle of Lakhimpur district this morning and breached the Dolahat Weekly Bazar-Phoolbari PWD road that connects NH-15.
The sudden flood in the river swept away many houses as residents scrambled to save and retrieve their belongings amidst the devastation. Two persons were drowned in the fast-moving water of the river. The deceased have been identified as Sunil Das (45) and Pushpa Roy (14) from Phulbari. Their bodies have been recovered. Another minor, Paresh Roy (13), was swept away in the flash flood and search operation by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) is on. Another person is also reportedly missing in the flood, which increased the number of deaths to four.
After the Singra river changed its course and breached the PWD road, it inundated 20 villages in that area. This abnormal surge of water current has baffled many locals here. It may be recalled that the Singra breached the same road in the area close to a RCC bridge on NH-15 in 2018.
In 2013, a Community Based Flood Early Warning System (CB-FEWS) in Lakhimpur district was installed by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development and Aaranyak under the Himalayan Climate Change Adaptation Programme to monitor floods caused by the Singra. But the installed CB-FEWS has been of no use as far as disaster of such a magnitude is concerned.
