Executive member of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council who represents Mawlai constituency Teiborlang Pathaw inspects flood area in Mawlai on July 10, 2019. Image Northeast Now

There was no respite for Meghalaya as heavy rain continued to lash several parts of the State during day and night time on Wednesday.

This led to destruction of properties because of landslides and flash floods.

No casualty was reported in view of the current heavy downpour except loss of two lives last week, when a BSF jawan was washed away by the fast flowing Ganol river in West Garo Hills district on June 30, and an 11-year-old student was swept away by a stream at Sohïong area in East Khasi Hills district.

Image: Northeast Now

Major and minor landslides that destroyed roads and that led to collapse of retaining walls and trees were also reported.

A number of vehicles – four wheelers and two wheelers – parked near a retaining wall at Lumpyngngad were damaged due to collapse of the retaining wall.

Plain areas like Pynthorumkhrah area, Polo area continued to get inundated as incessant rain did not stop.

At midnight, heavy rain continued in Shillong and other places. At Kynshi area in West Khasi Hills district, a paddy field has also submerged.

Plain areas of Garo Hills, roads and few houses were damaged especially in Selsella block due to flowing of strong flood water.

However, light rain showered in the evening, which led to receding of water levels in streams and rivers including Umshyrpi river and Umkhrah river in Shillong city.

An agricultural field at Mawlai Umshing-Umjapung opposite the North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) was flooded since Tuesday and paddy fields have been filled with mud.

Footpaths in the area were also damaged by flash floods.

Executive member of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council who represents Mawlai constituency, Teiborlang Pathaw inspected the affected area on Wednesday morning.

Revenue and disaster management minister, Kyrmen Shylla said that reports were being collected on the actual damages due to heavy rain all over the state.

He said that assessment would be conducted on damaged caused to crops and paddy fileds

“We received reports that many plain areas of the state especially in Garo Hills were severely affected by flash floods, besides major and minor landslides all over the state. Roads were also destroyed by landslides in many places,” Shylla said.

A government communiqué said that sincere efforts have been made to restore power supply in several areas of the State which was disrupted due to damage of electric lines and other infrastructure as a result of landslide, falling of trees and tree branches on electric lines.

“But due to reason beyond control, power supply in some areas could not be restored in time. In certain cases, restoration of the same requires interventions of other line departments like forest, PWD, and others,” the communiqué said.

The Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) has also requested consumers and public at large to bear and co-operate with the office while restoring the power supply.

Parties that put up hoardings/billboards near electric lines were also asked not to cause any interruption to electric lines to avoid interruption of power supply and any untoward incidence.

The MeECL requested the public to take due care on account of snapped conductors if any, to avoid any harm and also inform MeECL offices in such an event.