Floods caused by rains over the past four days have affected more than 19,000 people across Manipur, as rivers overflowed and embankments broke, officials said on Monday.They reported that 3,365 houses have been damaged and 19,811 people have been affected by the floods.To provide help, 31 camps have been set up in Imphal East district for those moved from their homes and areas. Heingang, Wangkhei, and Khurai assembly constituencies in Imphal East, along with Senapati district, are among the affected regions.
Officials said 47 landslides have also taken place in parts of the state during this time. Many areas in Imphal and parts of Imphal East have been flooded, especially in Khurai, Heingang, and Checkon, due to embankment breaks and river overflows. Floodwaters entered the premises of several offices, health centres, and institutions after the Imphal River overflowed in the Checkon area, officials said. Among the affected sites were the All India Radio Imphal complex and the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS).
At JNIMS in Porompat, Imphal East, patients receiving treatment were shifted to other hospitals on Sunday evening after water reached the facility. According to officials, rescue teams moved patients from the female orthopaedic and surgery wards located on the ground floor. Personnel from local clubs, volunteers, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) worked together in the evacuation effort. Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla visited several flood-hit areas in Imphal, while army and Assam Rifles teams rescued nearly 800 people from waterlogged localities in Imphal East.
The governor, accompanied by Chief Secretary PK Singh and other officials, visited Kangla Nongpok Thong, Lairikyengbam Leikai, and Singjamei Bridge to review the flood situation, the Raj Bhavan said in a statement. Officials said the Iril River in Imphal East crossed the danger level on Sunday, though the embankments remained intact. Due to ongoing rain, the governor announced that schools in Imphal East, Imphal West, and the Senapati sub-division would remain closed until further notice.
Flooding was also reported in the Senapati district after the Senapati River overflowed near Viewland colony.
Rescue efforts continued on Saturday, with the Indian Army and Assam Rifles evacuating about 800 people. Quick reaction teams from the Assam Rifles were sent to Porompat, Wankhei, Sanjenthong, Palace Compound, New Checkon, Khurai Heikrumakhong Heinang, Soibam Leikai, Wangkhei Angom Leikai, Nongmeibung Raj Bari, and nearby areas in Imphal East.
Around 800 people have been rescued so far, including 10 to 20 differently abled and elderly individuals, according to a statement. Authorities are working with various departments and agencies to provide timely relief and rehabilitation, another statement said. Meanwhile, Lok Sabha MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam has urged the governor to declare the flood situation a "state calamity" to help activate official measures for managing the crisis. Manipur Congress President Keisham Meghachandra Singh blamed the water resources department for failing to prevent floods in several areas.