SHILLONG: 20th June 2022 (PTI Source)
According to the Indian Met Department, rains have been continuous in recent weeks, leaving a path of devastation in particular in the regions of Garo Hills, but starting today, relentless rainfall is hopefully expected to simmer down.
The rainfall activity will start to fall from Sunday, according to Rakesh Sharma, a lecturer at the IMD Shillong. Furthermore, it was discovered that there was a minor decrease in rainfall intensity on Saturday.
“From Monday, we anticipate that the rain will lessen even more,” he added. He went on to say that light to moderate rainfall is expected to continue, but that the severe heavy downpour would not be there.
Another silver lining is that a team from the Center is likely to be sent to the state to analyze the situation.
In a tweet, Meghalaya CM wrote that he has spoken with Home Minister Amit Shah about the flood situation in the state and the substantial damage it has caused.
Regardless of the indications of optimism, Saturday was still dangerous as a truck handyman's body was discovered at 400 feet on NH-6, where the incident occurred, by the State-Response Team as well as Fire-Emergency Services.
On the same day, a truck carrying construction material fell into a sinkhole at the junction of the NH-6 and Lumshnong toll plaza as a result of heavy rainfall.
On Saturday, Jagpal Singh Dhanoa, East Jaintia Hills' Superintendent of Police, said that the truck driver (Number Plate: AS 01 DD 4496) jumped off the vehicle during the incident, and is nowhere to be found.
Bishujit Chakrabarty (aged 36) who belonged to Khowai in West Tripura was identified as the deceased. The civil hospital in Khliehriat is conducting an autopsy of his body. The accident recorded in a video had recently gone viral on social media.
Meanwhile, the police announced that the National Highway-6 is still shut to traffic and that restoration work is in full swing.
On the same day, another vehicle was also destroyed, but the people inside had jumped out of the vehicle and survived with minor injuries.
On Saturday, the DC of East Khasi Hills' office published a damage report in which it lists numerous infrastructure facilities that were damaged by rain and landslides.
According to the article, a landslide damaged Pyntngen Khongsit's home in the Village Kshaid located in Block name Laitkroh Khatarshnong. In addition, several critical infrastructures like the Sonatola footbridge in Mawsynram and the Suktia suspension bridge in Shella Bholaganj have been damaged; meanwhile, the Nongjri Bholaganj Rd. at Pynsursla is yet to be reopened for traffic.
According to another government document, floods damaged almost 22 homes in Block Ranikor, while a landslide destroyed two other residences in Block Saipung of the East Jaintia Hills.
A landslide caused substantial damage to a road in Mawblei (VEC), which comes under Mawkyrwat Block, while the retaining wall of Umkiang PHC (East Jaintia Hills) was damaged by a landslide.
As many as 27 persons have perished in the state since the 1st of April when 28 lives were lost in neighbouring Tamil Nadu. The rainfall has damaged approximately 5.86 lakh people in 772 villages and inflicted damage on 3,981 structures during the same time period.
At the same time, in Eastern West Khasi Hills, Minister of PHE Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar and his cabinet colleague B Nongsiej visited damaged roads in Rngisawlia villages of South West Khasi Hills this Saturday.
The officials also visited a family in Jashiar who had been affected by flooding and a relative who had perished as a result of a rain-related calamity.
Governor Satya Pal Malik has sent his sympathies to families of those who perished in recent days as a result of severe weather in the state, following several deaths reported over the past few days.
“I'm deeply pained by the loss of precious lives as a result of continuous and very severe rainfall, which has disrupted life throughout the state. The government is taking all necessary corrective and rescue actions to address the problem. I urge everyone to be careful when travelling out,” added Governor Malik.
He assures us that everything is being done to address the problem. “The current situation has been discussed with the Chief Minister, who is closely monitoring the matter and has given me his assurance that appropriate action will be taken,” he stated.
This year, Meghalaya has seen a lot of rain, with several old records being broken by Mawsynram and Sohra.
The month of June has seen a new record set by Mawsynram as it received 1003.6 mm of rainfall in just 24 hours, according to the IMD.
Mawsynram's 20-year rainfall record broke when the District received 944.7 mm of rain on the 7th of June in 1966, according to the IMD data.
On Wednesday, 811.2 mm of rain fell in Sohra (Cherrapunjee), which is 10 kilometres from Mawsynram, making it the wettest June day on record for the IMD and the third-highest since the year 1895.