After heavy rainfall lashed major parts of Tripura under the influence of cyclonic storm ‘Remal’ , worsening the flood situation in several places including adjoining areas of river Howrah in Agartala, Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha on Tuesday night visited relief camps and reviewed relief activities.

Chief Minister Dr Saha accompanied by Mayor of Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC), Dipak Majumder visited relief camps and interacted with flood affected people.

Speaking with media persons at the relief camp at Swami Vivekananda school of Bardowali, Dr Saha said that water level is increasing as rain water are still coming from hills. He said that flood situation in some AMC areas has improved and normal situation prevails. The state government and AMC are giving all assistance to all flood affected families including food, medicines etc and has also taken all necessary steps to evacuate all affected families.

He also urged all flood affected families to shelter in government relief camps and hoped that situation will be normal shortly.

While, giving details, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Sushanta Chowdhury said that so far 15 relief camps opened in flood affected areas, where more than 1000 of families were sheltered. He said that so far 467 houses destroyed due to storm and many rivers of the state are now flowing above danger level.

Minister Sushanta Chowdhury said that the Disaster Management teams, SDRF, trained ‘Aapda Mitra’ and Civil Defence Volunteers, NDRF were pressed into action for clearing roads and restoring the essential services. In most of the places roads have been cleared within a few hours. Damage assessment in many places is going on.

Sources said that government agencies have already started evacuating people from flood affected and low-lying areas to the safe shelters and started distribution of relief items.

Sources in the Sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Sadar office said above 100 families of from Chandpur, Trinath, Baldakhal ,Chandrapur, Aralia and Pratapgarh areas of Agartala were forced to take shelter in the afternoon of Tuesday due to heavy rainfall and flood for hike of water level in river Howrah.

Several families in adjoining areas of river Howrah were evacuated by the administration and volunteers from flooded area of Pratapgarh, Aralia, Jogendranagar, Kathashewla, Chandrapur, Baldakhal areas of the eastern part of the city since Monday midnight, who were sheltered in relief camps including some makeshift camps.

Administrative authorities including local leaders visited the affected areas and monitoring the rescue operations. Rescue operation teams is being camping in the affected areas since Tuesday afternoon and large number of TSR and NDRF jawans were deployed in the affected areas.

Vehicular movement was also hampered in some portion of National Highway-8 adjoining to river Howrah and normal life was severely affected in different parts eastern Agartala.

The flood water pumps in inundated areas start immediately to extract flood water, alert NDRF and all disaster response forces including SDRF, TSR to press into action and some teams with all equipment including boats are also now pressed into rescue operations in adjoining areas to river Howrah.

According to the Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC), the state administration and AMC have landed many boats on the city roads to help the people on Monday night.

Meanwhile, at present (Tuesday night) the water in the Howrah River is flowing above the danger level and all low-lying areas near the river have already submerged into flood water.