Agartala, Aug 22: Hours after Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and sought aid to tackle extreme floods in the state, the Centre has started sending chopper and NDRF teams to expedite the rescue and relief operations.
On Thursday, three flights of Indian Airforce carrying 120 NDRF personnel landed at Maharaja Bir Bikram airport, Agartala. They are being dispatched and will join the rescue operation shortly.
One MI-17 helicopter has been deployed at Amarpur in Gomati district for rescuing the people stranded in flood-affected areas.
The Chief Minister, after an urgent discussion with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday morning, confirmed that 11 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams are being dispatched from Assam and Arunachal Pradesh to the flood-ravaged Tripura.
Given the gravity of the situation, the Centre is also arranging helicopters for airlifting stranded residents from the worst-affected areas. Additional boats will be deployed to further bolster the rescue operations.
On behalf of the people of Tripura, the Chief Minister expressed gratitude towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the swift and decisive action, which he shared in a social media update. The Union Minister reassured Tripura of full support in managing the on-going calamity.
The state government, led by Dr. Saha, is working tirelessly to mitigate the impact of the unprecedented natural disaster. The Chief Minister lauded the efforts of public representatives, social workers, and other individuals who are assisting the government during this critical time.
Tripura has been reeling under extreme flood conditions due to unceasing rainfall over the past 4 days. The deluge has claimed several lives, with reports indicating that over 50,000 people have been displaced and are currently taking shelter in around 500 relief camps across the state.
However, there is a glimmer of hope as floodwaters in some areas have begun to recede. If the region experiences a lull in rainfall, the situation is expected to improve gradually.
In an incident of landslide at Gardang Ashwini Kumar Para in Santir Bazar of South Tripura district, seven members of two families including a child lost their lives on Wednesday night. Three members of one family were buried alive due to landslide in the same sub-division three days ago. The total death tally due to excessive rains reached to 17.
On the other hand, the IMD predicted more rainfall for the next few days with Red Alert in some districts.
The Chief Minister held an important meeting with the Chief Secretary J.K. Sinha and other officials and discussed the overall flood situation. He passed necessary instructions for rescue of people from flood affected areas and timely supply of relief items.
An update from Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha said, due to the current flood situation, it has been decided that all educational institutions, including Government, Government-aided, and private (Schools, Colleges and State run universities) will remain closed until further notice. A formal notification will be issued shortly.
