John Wilbert & Vikramaditya
Thoratang, Sept 17: Several parts of Middle Andaman region have been hit by heavy rainfall since last night, resulting in flash floods that have wreaked havoc across several areas.
Rangat, Swadesh Nagar, Thoratang wards 4, 5, 6, and Duke Nagar, along with low-lying sections of Shantipur, Pinakinagar, and parts of Harinagar villages, bore the brunt of the deluge. Similar report of flood like situation has also been received from some parts of North Andaman region.
In many places, residents were forced to flee their homes, and numerous houses, as well as crops, sustained significant damage.
Thoratang village, in particular, was hit hard, with approximately 10 residential houses inundated by the floodwaters. The Rangat Police Station, Mayabunder, and Billiground received an early morning distress call regarding the flash flood in Rangat. In response, a dedicated team of police officers sprang into action, joined by the Rangat Fire Brigade.
At Thoratang area, despite facing daunting challenges, the police team, led by Sub Inspector Shiju Kumar (SHO Billiground), Sub Inspector Manoj Lal, Sub Inspector Inderjeet, Head Constable Amrita Bawali, Sandeep, Police Constable Jitender Barik, Mustafa, Selavam, and other staff members, worked tirelessly.
Alongside them, Pradhan Mr. Debabrata Das and other PRI members successfully rescued nearly 20 individuals from eight families in Thoratang village, ensuring their safety.
After completing their rescue operations in Thoratang and Duke Nagar, the police continued patrolling the vulnerable low-lying areas throughout the evening, redoubling their efforts. The general public in the region expressed their appreciation for the diligent work of the police and fire brigade teams, both in rescuing stranded families and maintaining law and order during such torrential rainfall. By evening, the water had receded in most areas, allowing affected residents to return to their homes.
However, beneath the surface of this natural disaster lies a deeper issue that the residents of Swadesh Nagar Gram Panchayat are eager to address. In the Middle Andaman district, they have accused a private company operating under the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (NHIDCL) of neglecting the reconstruction and repair of a critical concrete bridge over a local stream. This project has languished for four years, and today’s flood in the Thoratang area is partly attributed to the incomplete Thoratang Bridge.
Moreover, frequent flooding in the region has been exacerbated by blockages in the hume pipe culvert during heavy rainfall, as reported by villagers. Mr. Debabrata Das, the Pradhan of the Gram Panchayat Swadesh Nagar, voiced his concerns, noting that today’s waterlogging affected the entire Thoratang village, including wards 4, 5, and 6, where approximately ten houses in low-lying areas suffered damage. Additionally, several lakhs worth of crops, both stored and under cultivation, were destroyed due to the sudden flooding. Mr. Das urgently appealed to the Administration and NHIDCL to compensate the affected families.
The Thoratang Bridge project had made significant progress a few months ago, but work has stagnated recently. This bridge holds immense importance as it connects North Andaman to Middle Andaman and South Andaman via the ATR route. In the interim, NH constructed another hume pipe bridge near the concrete bridge. Unfortunately, due to poor maintenance, the hume pipe frequently gets blocked, leading to flooding in nearby villages. Primary school Swadesh Nagar and approximately 200 families in wards 3, 4, 5, and 6 have been severely affected by waterlogging.
