In Photos: Excavators claw hills, remove greenery to restore railway and road connectivity while floodwaters submerge villages in Dima Hasao hills

Landslides and flood left a trail of devastation in Assam’s Dima Hasao district and people of the hill district are living in uncertainty as they brace for heavy monsoon rains. Excavators pressed into service for restoration of railway and road connectivity can be seen clawing hills removing green cover and cutting hills even as heavy rains left several villages up in the hills submerged in flood waters.

Landslides triggered on May 14 and 15 caused dislocations of the Lumding-Silchar Broad Gauge line at 53 locations snapping the vital rail link to the hill district and Barak valley in Assam and neighbouring states of Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur. On June 1, Railway Board authorities conveyed to the General Manager, Northeast Frontier Railway that the Ministry of Railways has granted sanction to the Final Location Survey at an an estimated cost of Rs 43.23 crores for a new 208-km long railway line from Lanka to Silchar via Chandranathpur.

Dima Hasao received “large excess” rainfall in May and recorded 87% more rainfall than normal, according to Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Guwahati. The RMC describes “large excess” rain to be more than 60% above normal. The hill district received 493.3 mm of rain against normal rainfall of 263.7 mm during the month. Cumulative rainfall from March 1 was 92% excess with the district recording 1117.4 mm rain against normal rainfall of 581.7 mm during this period. Data show that during the last week of May from May 25 till May 31, the rainfall was quite less than normal. Acutal rain in this week was 13.9 mm against nomral level of 85.5 mm i.e. -87%. The RMC describes rainfall to be "large deficient" when departure is in the range -99% to -60% . Climate experts describe uneven distribution of rainfall and simultaneous significant departures from normal rainfall to be a manfestation of climate change impact.

Unprecedented floods gripped Tahijuwari area, about 75 km from Haflong on Haflong – Lanka road. Residents of Thaijuwari, Thaijuwari market, Mojowari, Jonsorhadi started preparing to be safe after they were alerted by people in Dehangi on May 13 that the river Diyung was swelling and may flood their villages. However, they had no idea that their flood waters will trigger an unprecedented submergence of their villages on the hills in the catchment of Diyung.

Residents say that flood water rose to 30 feet and overtopped a bridge over Lailengdisa river and its course has been changed. The water level of river Diyung which is flowing by Thaijuwari area rose rapidly inundating vast agricultural area of the entire area and causing heavy losses to local people. At least 105 houses were affected due to flood in the area.

At Jonsorhadi, the condition of villagers is more precarious since the entire surroundings (mostly agricultural land) of the villagers could be seen flooded till June 3. Flood destroyed entire paddy field in the village and damaged five houses. Massive floodwater also swept away a vast horticultural garden with thousands of areca nut plants.

Northeast Frontier Railway authorities hope to restore railway connectivity in July but unprecendented devastation poses a question if large connectity projects are sustainable for ecologocially fragile Dima Hasao hills.

Photos and text: Anup Biswas

Anup Biswas is a Senior Journalist based in Haflong, the headquarter town of Dima Hasao district and has been reporting on the hill district for over three decades. He can be reached at [email protected]