Tripura Floods: Death Toll Rises To 22, Centre Approves Rs 40 Crore Relief Aid

Torrential rains in Tripura have caused severe flooding, resulting in 22 deaths and two missing persons. The IMD predicts heavy rainfall for the next seven days.

The flood situation in Tripura, which has been lashed by incessant rains over the past few days, remained grim on Friday, with the death toll rising to 22 and two others missing. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of heavy rainfall in the state during the next seven days. 

Chief Minister Manik Saha on Friday visited the flood-affected areas of Udaipur in Gomati district, which are severely damaged due to heavy rains. "Reaching out to flood-affected areas by Chopper, assessing damage & ensuring aid reaches those in need. Constantly reviewing flood situation in Agartala & Udaipur, working to mitigate impact & support affected people," the CM said in a post on X.

So far, around 65,400 people have been shifted to shelter at 450 relief camps in the state as their houses were damaged due to the heavy downpour, officials said. 

The CM also expressed grief after ten people were buried under the rubble of rain-triggered landslides in Ashwani Tripura Para and Debipur in Santirbazar. In a Facebook post, Saha said, “... I convey my deepest condolence to the families of the victims. This is an irreparable loss. The state government has announced payment of Rs 4 lakh to each victim's family as financial assistance."

Meanwhile, the Centre has approved the release of Rs 40 crore for flood-hit Tripura, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Friday. 

Shah said 11 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), three columns of the Army and four helicopters of the Indian Air Force have been deployed by the Centre to assist the state government in flood relief and rescue operations. "Given the flood situation in Tripura, the central govt, under the leadership of Modi Ji, has approved the release of 40 crore in advance, as the central share from SDRF (State Disaster Response Fund), to provide relief to the affected people," he wrote on X.

Around 17 lakh people have been affected by floods in the northeastern state, where landslides were reported from 2,032 places. Of these, 1,789 have been cleared, while restoration work is underway at the other spots. “Erosion to roads occurred at 1,952 locations,” said Brijesh Pandey, Secretary of the Revenue Department.

He said the Centre has provided two helicopters for airlifting stranded people in Gomati and South Tripura districts.

The IMD has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall at many places in Tripura on Thursday and Friday. All educational institutions across the state will remain closed on Friday due to the inclement weather, an official order said.