By IANS
Imphal : At least two people have died, 25,000 displaced, and road communication between India and Myanmar snapped due to devastating floods triggered by a breach in an embankment in Manipur, officials said Friday.
A government spokesperson said the flood situation worsened overnight after a breach of an embankment on the Imphal river.
“Floodwaters have overtopped the Indo-Myanmar road for the second straight day Friday, while the Manipur University has been closed indefinitely,” an official said.
Two people, including a seven-year-old boy, were drowned Thursday in separate incidents, while dozens of villages were submerged by the gushing floodwaters.
“The floods this time of the year is quite unprecedented. The water levels of all the rivers and its tributaries were receding, but many areas continue to reel under floodwaters,” the official said.
An estimated 25,000 people have been sheltered in makeshift homes in schools and office buildings, while many more were staying by the roadside. “There were at least three major breaches of embankments in the last few days causing the floods,” the official said.
Paramilitary forces have been deployed for relief and rescue operations in several parts of Manipur.
“More than 200 paramilitary personnel are helping in repairing the breached embankments,” Manipur Flood Control Minister N. Biren Singh told IANS.
The floodwaters have submerged the Imphal-Moreh section of the India-Myanmar highway (NH-39) for about five km bringing traffic to a standstill.
“Assam Rifles troopers were using motorboats to evacuate students staying at hostels in and around Manipur University. They also evacuated several elderly people from flooded areas,” the minister said.
Authorities have opened at least 35 relief camps to shelter the flood-affected people.