Floods in Tripura, over 2,000 families displaced

Agartala, June 20 (IANS) Heavy monsoon rain disrupted life in Tripura as over 2,000 families were displaced after their houses were inundated by the flood water, official said here on Tuesday.

The displaced families belonging to sub-divisions -- Sadar, Jirania and Mohanpur in West Tripura district and Khowai and Teliamura in Khowai district, were put up in 50 relief camps, the official said.

"Heavy monsoon rain since Sunday night flooded the low-lying areas, roads, inhabited areas in five sub-divisions of two districts of Tripura," the Disaster Management Control Centre official added.

He said that the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Tripura State Rifles teams and officials of the district administrations have been deployed to provide relief and rescue to the affected people.

Several rivers including Howra and Khowai were flowing above the danger mark.

Chief Minister Manik Sarkar held a high level meeting here on Monday night to review the situation.

Sarkar has asked the district administrations to open the control rooms in the affected districts round-the-clock to monitor and to take immediate steps to assist the people, the official added.

Meteorological Department Director Dilip Saha said more rain was expected till Thursday.

"In June, 695 mm rainfall was recorded in Agartala against the expected normal monsoon rainfall of 421 mm," Saha said.

The four-month-long (June-September) Southwest Monsoon was now active in the entire northeastern region, comprising eight states.