People living near Arunachal's Siang river moved to safety after flood alert

ITANAGAR: People living along the banks of Siang river in Arunachal Pradesh have been moved to safer places after China informed India about possible flash floods in the area due to formation of an artificial lake in Tibet, officials said Saturday.

The first rush of water reached Pasihgat, the headquarters of East Siang district in Arunachal Pradesh, at around 7.30am on Saturday, said water resources department, superintending engineer (Hqs), Getom Borang.

The water flow was under control and below the danger level at 11am, he told PTI over phone.

Deputy commissioner of east Siang district, Duly Kamduk and officials of the water resources department are constantly keeping a watch on the flow of the Siang river, while the National Disaster Response Force (NERF) team has arrived, officials said.

In East Siang district, many people living near the banks of the Siang river have been evacuated to safer locations as a precautionary measure, they said.

There was a rise in the water level, but it was not reported as serious. At Tuting, the water level was between 12 metre to 13 metre. The situation is normal now, a senior water resources ministry official said.

Arunchal Pradesh health and family welfare minister Alo Libang, who is also the MLA of Yingkiong constituency in East Siang district, said the water level of the Siang river had risen at around 11pm on Friday night, but started receding after some time.

The minister said the officials were constantly monitoring the water level of the river.

Chinese Embassy spokesperson Counselor Ji Rong had said his country has activated the 'Emergency Information Sharing Mechanism' with India following the landslide on Wednesday morning near Jiala village in Milin County in the lower ranges of Yaluzangbu river in Tibet.

The reason cited behind the landslide was "natural causes".

Yaluzangbu river is called Siang when it enters Arunachal Pradesh and Brahmaputra in Assam.

Ji had said the Hydrological Bureau of Tibet Autonomous Region has begun to share with the Indian side hydrological information every hour, such as the water level and flow rate at the Nuxia hydrological station and the temporary hydrological station downstream of the barrier lake.