Flash floods in Sessa River sweep away youth, inundate villages in Lakhimpur
The Sessa river, swollen by heavy rains in Arunachal Pradesh, flooded villages and croplands in Lakhimpur’s Dhalpur area.
A file image of a house submerged in Lakhimpur. (AT Photo)
North Lakhimpur, Aug 22: A youth was swept away by surging waters of the Sessa river in Lakhimpur’s Dhalpur area on Thursday as flash floods triggered by incessant rains in neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh inundated vast stretches of land, leaving several villages marooned.
The deceased has been identified as Dambaru Harijan, a daily wage labourer from Phutabhog village under Narayanpur Revenue Circle.
According to locals, the incident occurred when Harijan attempted to cross a bamboo bridge near his home and was caught in the gushing current of the overflowing river. Rescue operations were immediately launched, though his body remained untraced till the last report came in.
The Sessa river, swollen by heavy rainfall in the Arunachal hills, has submerged croplands and residential areas across Dhalpur, washing away newly transplanted paddy seedlings and disrupting the lives of hundreds of villagers.
The worst-affected areas include Sessa-Mising, Phutabhog, Rangajan, and Naoghuli, where floodwaters have entered homes, forcing families to take shelter in safer places.
This is not the first instance of devastation caused by the Sessa river this monsoon. On August 13, the river destroyed a vital road constructed under the Assam-Mala scheme, which connected Simaluguri in Dhalpur with Hawajan in Biswanath district. The collapse of the road has worsened communication woes, leaving villagers cut off from essential services.