Itanagar, Jul 8: An Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT), led by Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Nishtha Tiwari, on Wednesday visited Keyi Panyor district to assess the extensive damage caused by recent flash floods and heavy monsoon rains.
The central team was accompanied by Arunachal Pradesh Disaster Management Secretary Dani Salu.
Travelling by road from Itanagar via Kimin, the delegation conducted on-the-spot inspections of several damaged stretches along the highway, assessing formation breaches and active landslide zones that have disrupted connectivity in the region.
The team also visited the worst-affected areas in and around NEEPCO Colony and Possa village, where it took stock of the widespread destruction caused by flash floods.
Following the field inspection, the delegation held a review meeting with Keyi Panyor Deputy Commissioner Shweta Nagarkoti Mehta, Superintendent of Police Angad Mehta, district officials and representatives of the affected communities.
During the meeting, the Deputy Commissioner presented a detailed assessment of the damage to public and private infrastructure, agriculture and other sectors, besides highlighting the district's immediate relief and rehabilitation requirements.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pema Khandu said several remote areas of Arunachal Pradesh had suffered extensive devastation during the recent floods, but many of their stories remained unheard due to difficult terrain and inaccessibility.
Sharing details of his meeting with the IMCT led by Nishtha Tiwari on Tuesday, the Chief Minister said he had ensured that the concerns of people living in remote villages were brought to the forefront of the team’s flood assessment.
“No part of Arunachal will be forgotten. We will ensure that every affected village, however remote, receives equal attention and support,” Khandu said.
The observations made by the IMCT during its visit to Yazali and surrounding areas will form a key part of its final assessment report to the Ministry of Home Affairs, which will determine the state’s eligibility for additional central financial assistance for relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction in flood-affected areas, officials said.