Silchar Submerged in History-Making Rain, Northeast Grieves as Floods Claim 34 Lives
GG News Bureau
Silchar, 2nd June: The month of June opened with devastating rains across the Northeast, with Assam’s Silchar recording its heaviest single-day rainfall in over a century. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the city received a staggering 415.8 mm of rain in 24 hours on June 1, breaking a 132-year-old record set in 1893 of 290.3 mm.
The downpour, attributed to a combination of upper-air cyclonic circulations and low-level troughs, has triggered widespread flash floods and landslides across the region. The IMD reported that the most intense weather activity is concentrated in a belt stretching from central Assam to Arunachal Pradesh, linked to a trough extending from East Uttar Pradesh.
Silchar had previously witnessed one of its worst floods in 2022 after a dyke breach on the Barak River submerged 90 percent of the town. This year, too, the city’s vulnerability was exposed, although no major breach has been reported yet.
Across the Northeast, at least 34 people have lost their lives in flood and landslide-related incidents over the past three days. States affected include Assam, Manipur, Tripura, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and Mizoram, which recorded 1,102% above-normal rainfall on May 31.
In Meghalaya, districts like Sohra (Cherrapunjee) and Mawsynram received 796 mm and 774.5 mm of rain, respectively, between May 28 and June 1. The highest single-day total was recorded in RKM Sohra with 378.4 mm on May 30. At least 10 districts in Meghalaya have been impacted by flash floods and landslides.
Tripura has reported over 10,000 people affected, while Manipur has seen more than 19,000 people impacted and 3,365 houses damaged due to river overflows and embankment breaches.
As the region continues to experience unstable weather, authorities are on high alert and relief operations are underway. The IMD has forecast continued rainfall in several northeastern states over the coming days.
