Incessant Rains Lash Assam, Northeast Due To The Impact of Cyclone Fani

GUWAHATI: Most parts of Assam and several other States in the North East witnessed incessant rains on Saturday due to the impact of cyclone Fani – one of the strongest storms to batter the Indian subcontinent in decades – even as the State governments have taken adequate measures to face any eventualities in its aftermath. Meanwhile, reports have poured in of trees being uprooted and houses damaged, besides landslides taking place in several parts of the region. Earthquakes were also felt in the morning and in the evening. The Meteorological office in Agartala recorded 75.5 mm rainfall during the past 24 hours. The effects of Fani are likely to continue till May 5 across the Northeast.

Lakhimpur, along with the other districts of North Assam, was jolted by an earthquake for the second time within a period of 11 days. The tremor was felt in the district at 4.35 pm on Saturday. The epicentre of the earthquake with a magnitude of 5.5 in the Richter scale was along the Indo-Myanmar border. No casualty and damage was reported.

An earthquake jolted Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Biswanath, Sonitpur and Majuli districts of North Assam in the wee hours on April 24 at 1.45 am. According to source, the epicentre of the shallow earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 in the Richter scale was about 40 km south-east of Along and 180 km south-east of Itanagar.

Meanwhile, 34 pilgrims and tourists from Nalbari and Baihata Chariali, who were brought to Assam Bhawan, Kolkata are now being shifted to Guawahati by train. The State government has also taken steps to bring those people still stuck in Odisha back to Assam according to their convenience. A high-level meeting was held on Saturday at the office chamber of Media Adviser to the Chief Minister Hrishikesh Goswami at Janata Bhawan regarding safe return of the State’s pilgrims and tourists from Odisha in view of the devastating Cyclone Fani hitting the coastal State. Notably, the State government has been maintaining communication with the Odisha Government so that the visitors from the State do not have to face any inconvenience. It has been learnt that all tourists and pilgrims from the State are safe and secure in Odisha.

Media and Legal Advisers to the Chief Minister Hrishikesh Goswami and Shantanu Bharali, Additional Chief Secretary in charge of Home Department Kumar Sanjay Krishna, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Sanjay Kumar Lohia, ADGP Harmit Singh and CEO of Assam State Disaster Management Authority Aruna Rajoria were also present at the meeting.

There are, however, reports of a group of 24 people from Harmutty of Lakhimpur district still stranded in Odisha.

Meanwhile, due to bad weather, triggered by Fani, 79 flights were cancelled at different airports in the Northeast region (NER), Airport Authority of India (AAI) official Mohan Kumar said here on Saturday.

“The devastating effects of cyclone Fani have disrupted flight operations at north-eastern regional airports. However, all the airports in the NER are operational but due to bad weather conditions at other stations/airports, the connecting flights have been cancelled by the airlines. All the airports in the NER are open for normal operations,” the AAI official said, adding that while 59 flights, including arrival and departure, have been cancelled from Guwahati airport, Agartala airport had to cancel eight flights. Two flights each were cancelled in Dimapur, Lilabari and at Dibrugarh airport. Another six flights were cancelled at Imphal airport, he said.

NF Railway officials have also said that some of the trains from different north-eastern States and in-coming transportation to the Northeast have been cancelled due to warning related to Fani.

Following the rains, the State government has issued an alert to suspend ferry services in major waterways, including those between Jorhat and Majuli, Guwahati and North Guwahati, Dhubri and other places from Saturday to Sunday.

Meanwhile, Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) officials said that the rains have raised the water level in some rivers, leading to flash floods.

The officials at the Regional Meteorological Centre in Guwahati had earlier warned of heavy rains and strong winds lashing the region on Saturday and Sunday.

The Assam government had also warned the district administrations to remain alert ahead of Fani and deployed State Disaster Rescue Force (SDRF) and 40 companies of National Disaster Rescue Force (NDRF) at vulnerable locations across the State.

As on Saturday, Fani weakened into a ‘cyclonic storm, posing no more threat’ for West Bengal. It was at Shantipur in Nadia district, about 60 km north of Kolkata, and was likely to enter Bangaldesh around Saturday noon. The cyclone made landfall in Odisha on Friday morning.

Meanwhile, all trains originating from Bhubaneswar are to resume services from Sunday.

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