Agartala , Aug 21, 2024, TRIPURATIMES Desk

Agartala Aug 21: The flood situation in the state has reached critical levels as incessant rainfall continues to batter the region.

According to reports, the West district received a staggering 123 mm of rain between 8:30 am and 12 pm on Wednesday. Overnight, an additional 182 mm of rainfall inundated the area, prompting a heavy warning from the Meteorological Department.

The Howrah River is now flowing dangerously high due to torrential rain, resulting in the submergence of houses and roads in Agartala city.

The road in front of Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha's residence has also been submerged and forced him to take a boat ride outside the home. DIG Tripura, Krishnendu Chakravertty was seen in action in front of the CM residence.

Regardless of party affiliations, the Chief Minister has called upon everyone to stand united in support of the flood victims during this natural calamity.

On Tuesday, the surrounding regions, including Chandrapur, Baldakhal, Kashipur, and Reshambagan, were severely affected by floods.

Since Wednesday morning, flood victims in these areas have sought refuge in temporary camps after leaving their homes and the process of evacuating the victims is still underway.

The entire state has been grappling with continuous rain for the past 72 hours, exacerbated by low-pressure conditions in the Bay of Bengal.

Almost all districts are experiencing varying degrees of rainfall, plunging most of them into a severe natural calamity. Rivers such as the Gomati, Howrah, Manu, etc. are flowing perilously close to their danger limits.

In response to the crisis, disaster response forces, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and various TSR units, have been deployed by the administration.

Extremely waterlogged areas like Chandrapur, Aaraliya, and Baldakhal in the Sadar Sub-Division are witnessing dire conditions, with residents being rescued by boat.

Dry food supplies are being distributed door-to-door, and victims are being relocated to temporary shelters.

Agartala Meteorological Department Director Dr. Partha Roy has confirmed that heavy rain will persist until Wednesday night, with a slight reduction expected thereafter.

“Over the past 24 hours, the West District recorded a maximum rainfall of 182 mm, while from 8:30 am to 12 noon, 117 mm of rain was measured. Other districts, including Sepahijala, Gomati, and South District, are also experiencing heavy rainfall”, he said.

In the capital city, Agartala, the flood situation has worsened due to continuous rain since Tuesday night.

Most of the city is submerged, leading to the closure of shops and disruption of traffic.

Meanwhile, many students (morning shift), especially those in private schools of the city got trapped in the school premises as the notification of school suspension came much later.

A parent while talking to Tripura Times said, “With much difficulty I had sent my ward to school as she had Term 1 examinations. Because of waterlogged streets, the students had to face much difficulty in returning home in the school buses”.

“Having accessed the critical situation much earlier, the government must have taken the decision yesterday itself”, complained another guardian.

Administrative efforts are underway to provide essential supplies, including khichuri (Hotchpotch) to those affected.

Officials of all line departments are responding swiftly to cope with the dire situation.