Aizawl, Jun 4: The Mizoram government has issued a travel advisory urging all dignitaries and officials from both the Centre and state governments to avoid visiting the state until June 13 due to incessant rains that battered the state since May 24.
The advisory came after incessant heavy rainfalls that hit the state over the past several days triggering widespread landslides, mudslides and flash floods, leading to loss of lives and affecting normal life across several districts.
“The advisory is being issued solely to ensure safety and to allow the administration to focus entirely on disaster relief operations,” the government said.
It said that District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs), under the leadership of respective Deputy Commissioners, are currently engaged in round-the-clock disaster response, relief, and rehabilitation efforts.
In view of the prevailing situation, the district administrations are operating at full capacity and are unable to spare time or resources for protocol and security arrangements for visiting dignitaries and officials, it said.
“Considering the prevailing circumstances and in the interest of public safety and to enable district administrations to focus fully on ongoing relief operations, the Mizoram government respectfully advises all dignitaries and officials from the Central Government, and representatives from other state governments to kindly postpone any planned visits to Mizoram until June 13,” the advisory said.
As per the forecast by the IMD, heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected to continue in the coming days, it said.
The current wave of landslides, floods, incidents of house collapse and other calamities triggered by heavy downpours has so far killed five people, including three Myanmar refugees, in the state.
According to the latest data released by the state’s disaster management and rehabilitation department on Tuesday, 626 landslides have been reported and 176 houses collapsed or damaged in different parts of the state during 11 days from May 24 to June 3 due to rain.
Altogether 247 families abandoned their houses due to landslides or fissures and 119 others evacuated their homes due to the floods, the data said.
East Mizoram’s Champhai district, which shares a border with Myanmar, recorded the highest number of landslides at 209, followed by Serchhip district (136) and Khawzawl district (75), it said.
In terms of house damage, Serchhip district suffered the worst, reporting 45 damages and 185 houses being abandoned due to landslides, fissures and floods, it said.
29 houses were damaged and 23 others abandoned in south Mizoram’s Siaha district, it said.
According to the data, rock blocks have been reported at 280 locations across the state till Tuesday.
Officials of state PWD said that roads are being cleared for commuters.(PTI)
