Over 1,000 households displaced in Senapati, Kangpokpi
Source: Chronicle News Service

Senapati/Kangpokpi, May 31 2025: Over 1,000 households in low-lying areas of Senapati district were severely affected by a flash flood that occurred on Friday night.

The floodwaters washed away two wooden bridges, two hanging bridges, and two cars parked in front of residential homes.

A Tata 407 truck was also swept away and remained untraced at the time of reporting.

The Senapati district administration, in collaboration with the Town Committee and colony village authorities, carried out emergency rescue operations throughout the night.

While no human casualties have been reported, numerous houses were destroyed by the sudden surge of water.

The worst-affected localities include Viewland Colony, River Colony, Bridge Colony, Yaopao Colony, Church Road Colony, and Old Monday Market Colony.

Many families were forced to flee for safety during the night, unable to salvage their belongings due to the rapidly rising water levels.

Continuous heavy rainfall since May 28 has also plunged the district into darkness, with widespread power outages.

According to sources, several electric poles were washed away, and the submerged areas remain inaccessible, delaying restoration efforts.

However, a decline in rainfall was observed on Saturday (May 31) .

In response to the crisis, the district administration has established temporary shelter facilities at the ADC Conference Hall and the ADC Guest House.

As per information from the CEO of the Autonomous District Council (ADC), around 80 individuals have taken refuge in the ADC Conference Hall, with six additional community halls designated as shelters in and around the district headquarters.

With many affected households seeking shelters in the homes of relatives within the district, an exact count of impacted families could not be confirmed at the time of filing this report.

On the night of May 30, mudslides affected sections of National Highway 2, cutting off traffic flow.

The debris was cleared early on Saturday morning, and vehicular movement has since resumed.

Relief efforts are ongoing, with teams from the district administration and local civil society organisations conducting assessments and distributing essential supplies.

A medical team, led by the medical superintendent of the District Hospital, is providing free medical care and distributing first aid supplies at the temporary shelter sites.

Meanwhile, a sudden flood in the early hours of Friday wreaked havoc in Kangpokpi district headquarters, as the usually calm river overflowed and inundated parts of the town, with Zonlhing Veng suffering the worst damage.

Triggered by continuous heavy rainfall, the stream breached its banks past midnight, submerging more than 60 houses and sweeping through the entire locality.

Walls collapsed, foundations gave way, and homes were left damaged or nearly destroyed.

This was the second such incident in recent memory, following last year's Cyclone Remal, but residents said the scale of destruction this time was far worse.

Nearly every household in Zonlhing Veng was affected, with many structures left in a dangerous condition.

The overflowing the stream also washed over the main road into the locality, hampering emergency response.

Despite the risk, local youths and personnel from Kangpokpi Police, led by OC H Kipgen, worked overnight to assist stranded residents and manage the situation.

Communication was completely disrupted as mobile networks from both Airtel and JIO went down minutes after the flooding began.

With helpline numbers unreachable and no electricity, residents were cut off from assistance just when it was needed most.

Other areas, including Lamdil Veng (Ward No 5), Ngambom Veng (Ward No 8), Zaphal Veng (Ward No 9), and Khupting Veng (Ward No 11), also sustained significant damage.

In several places, river currents eroded the ground beneath houses, leaving some partially collapsed or Ranging precariously over the water.

At daybreak, Kangpokpi DC Mahesh Chaudhari visited the affected sites and supervised the deployment of earthmovers to clear debris and reopen blocked roads near the stream.

Minor landslides were also reported along National Highway 2, particularly between Daili and Yaikongpao, although authorities were quick to clear the route and allow traffic to proceed with caution.

The flooding followed a Red Alert issued by the India Meteorological Department on May 29, warning of very heavy rainfall and strong winds in parts of Northeast India.

The district administration had issued advisories urging residents to remain indoors and take safety precautions.

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