Floods Devastate Ratabari: 40,000 Affected, 2,000 Homes Submerged; Electrocution Claims Life of Karimganj Youth

The flood situation in Ratabari’s Sonbil region has taken a devastating turn. Nearly 2,000 homes in the five village panchayats of Gobindganj, Nagendranagar, Anandpur, Gamaraiya, and Noyatila are submerged under water, affecting at least 40,000 people. Additionally, hundreds of homes in the Poladhar, Kazirbazar, and Anipur village panchayats within the constituency are also underwater, creating widespread distress and despair. Many residents have sought refuge in relief camps.

Continuous heavy rainfall has caused the Singla River to flow above the danger level. The intense rain in the Ratabari area and the neighbouring state of Mizoram has led to the Singla River overflowing on both banks. As a result, the floodwaters from the Singla River have re-entered the already submerged areas. Furthermore, near the Pesala railway gate on the eastern side, the embankment broke last night, allowing water to flood into new areas.

Overall, the flooding has created an unprecedented situation in many areas of the Ratabari constituency. Newly elected MP from Karimganj, Kripanath Mallah, and Ratabari MLA, Bijoy Malakar, have been visiting the flood-affected areas, sometimes wading through knee-deep water and at times using boats. They are personally assisting the affected people but as per the latest updates from the area, government aid was not secured for the affected people.

Tragic Electrocution in Karimganj:

In a related tragic incident, an 18-year-old youth Sahil Ahmed from the A.R.C. Road area of Karimganj town, a commerce student at Karimganj Junior Science College, lost his life due to electrocution. During heavy rainfall, water entered his home. While attempting to unplug the inverter, the plug slipped from his hand and fell onto the wet floor. The contact of the plug with water resulted in an electric shock, leading to his immediate death.

The incessant rainfall over the three districts of Barak Valley has wreaked havoc in the Karimganj district with both the Singla and Khushiyara rivers overflowing.