Itanagar: Heavy rains about a week ago triggered flash floods and large landslides that have cut off several remote villages in Arunachal Pradesh, prompting the state administration to use a commercial helicopter to airlift food and medical supplies to isolated communities, PTI reported.
Collapsed bridges and landslide-blocked roads have left Rotte, Rame, Loglu, Lipin, Mane, Tene, Sipu, Kakki, Kadu, Rina, Sido and Korang in Lower Siang district without road access, officials said.
Following an urgent request from the Lower Siang deputy commissioner, authorities mobilised a state-owned Skyone Airways Mi-172 helicopter to ferry emergency provisions, according to an official report.
The chopper is due to make multiple sorties on Saturday, transporting essential food items and critical medical supplies from the Pasighat Advanced Landing Ground in East Siang district to the Koyu helipad in Lower Siang, officials said.
As per the Directorate of Civil Aviation’s schedule, the helicopter will depart Naharlagun at 8 am on Saturday and is expected to reach the Koyu helipad about an hour later to begin relief operations.
Civil aviation authorities added that officials from administration, disaster management and food safety in Itanagar, Pasighat, Likabali and Nari have been placed on high alert to ensure the smooth offloading and distribution of ration packages to those affected.
Meanwhile, the Lower Siang district administration has commenced efforts to clear debris along the Likabali-Basar-Bame stretch of the Akajan-Likabali-Bame Road.
Likabali Additional Deputy Commissioner Mokar Riba said a massive landslide near Brahmaputra View close to Garu has made immediate clearance essential.
To safeguard commuters and allow restoration work to proceed uninterrupted, the district administration has imposed a strict, time-bound traffic regulation for all vehicular movement on the Akajan-Likabali-Bame Road, the order said. “Any violations of the order will invite strict legal action under relevant provisions,” it added.
The road is the lifeline for seven border districts of Arunachal Pradesh and is strategically important for national security because it supports the movement of security personnel and equipment to frontier areas.
