According to local villagers, infrastructure-related construction work that has continued for the past three years in the adjoining hills is believed to be the primary cause of the flash floods. Residents alleged that the ongoing construction activities blocked several natural streams and rivulets in Shivaji Nagar, resulting in a sudden surge of floodwater that entered more than 40 houses in the locality.
The Lohit district administration, along with disaster management officials, immediately launched rescue and relief operations to assist affected residents. Personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the police were also deployed to carry out evacuation, rescue, and relief efforts in the flood-hit areas.
The latest flash flooding in Lohit district comes as a high-level team from the Central Government, led by Joint Secretary (Home) Nishtha Tiwari, is scheduled to visit the flood-affected state on Wednesday to assess the situation.
During the first phase of the visit, the delegation is expected to travel by helicopter to Koyu in Lower Siang district. The team will inspect flood-affected locations and interact with local residents to obtain first-hand information about the extent of the devastation, Nari-Koyu MLA Tojir Kadu said.
However, adverse weather conditions could disrupt the planned visit. The Meteorological Centre in Itanagar on Tuesday issued an Orange Alert for five districts of Arunachal Pradesh, warning of thunderstorms, lightning, and spells of heavy to very heavy rainfall across several parts of the state.
East Siang, Lower Siang, Lower Dibang Valley, Lohit, and Namsai have been placed under the Orange Alert category, requiring heightened preparedness by district authorities and residents. The weather forecast indicates that these districts are likely to experience intense rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning during the day.
The Meteorological Centre has also issued a Yellow Alert for Upper Subansiri, Siang, West Siang, Leparada, East Kameng, West Kameng, Kra Daadi, Lower Subansiri, Kamle, Papum Pare, Pakke Kessang, Changlang, Tirap, Longding, Anjaw, and Dibang Valley. The advisory warns of the possibility of adverse weather conditions and urges residents to remain updated through official weather bulletins.
The warning comes amid continuing monsoon-related concerns across Arunachal Pradesh, where persistent rainfall has increased the risk of landslides, flash floods, waterlogging, and disruption of road connectivity, particularly in low-lying settlements and areas located near rivers and streams. Hill roads vulnerable to landslides are expected to face a greater threat during periods of intense rainfall.
The Meteorological Centre has advised residents to avoid unnecessary travel through landslide-prone routes, exercise caution near rivers and other water bodies, and closely follow official weather advisories. District administrations have also been directed to remain fully prepared to respond to any emergency arising from heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and lightning activity.
The latest flash floods in Lohit district underscore the growing threat posed by relentless monsoon activity in Arunachal Pradesh, where recurring extreme weather events continue to endanger lives, damage infrastructure, and test the preparedness of disaster response agencies even as a Central assessment team arrives to evaluate the scale of the destruction.
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