Water levels reducing in Siang and Brahmaputra river

People in Siang in Arunachal Pradesh and several districts in Assam heaved a sigh of relief as water level in Siang has significantly reduced on Sunday.

Following landslide in China's Yarlung Tsangpo and threat of water bomb, six districts in upper Assam had been put on high alert. Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Sivasagar and Golaghat have been put on a high alert by the state government.

Assam and Arunachal Pradesh has gone on alert after the formation of an artificial lake on the Yarlung Tsangpo River after a cliff fell at Milin section of the river, 70 km from Nuxia Hydrological Station in Tibe.


East Arunachal Pradesh MP, Ninong Ering said that, “It seems the danger is over. The water level of Siang started receding from Saturday, and went down further on Sunday. So, the imminent threat is no more now. Much water has already flowed down by now. Hence Siang is calm now.”

In Siang water receded to about 145 meter on Sunday from some 152.97 meter on Saturday at Pasighat. Tsangpo is known as siang in Arunachal Pradesh and Brahmaputra in Assam. On Thursday, Chinese government informed India that a landslide on the river in Tibet region might burst any time.

In Arunachal Pradesh eight companies of NDRF were airlifted from Bhubaneswar and deployed at various vulnerable areas. Arunachal Pradesh water resources department secretary, Bidol Tayeng said that with the danger of flash flood over, the situation has come to normal now in all the vulnerable districts.

Assam water resource minister, Keshav Mahanta said, “The government has posted an officer in Pasighat to update the government of situation. In Assam the water level are receding.”

Ferry services were resumed between Dibrugarh and Dhemaji on Sunday. This service was suspended after flood alert. The water level in Dibrugarh increased by 1.16 metres from 103.32 metres to 104.48 metres in the last 24 hours upto 7am on Sunday which is below the danger level of 105.70 metres.

After 7 am the water level has started decreasing by 4 to 6 cm every hour.