Abhishek & Vikramaditya
Sri Vijaya Puram, September 23: Heavy rainfall since Tuesday night has caused widespread waterlogging and localized flooding in several parts of Rangat in Middle Andaman today, leaving residents facing difficult conditions and causing damage to roads, homes and property. Areas including the Mini Stadium, Dashrathpur, Janakpur, Pranashala and Bakultala reported significant water accumulation following prolonged rain.
According to local information, the situation became particularly difficult in the early hours of Wednesday as water entered residential premises in several locations. Residents reported that household items, electrical appliances and other belongings kept inside homes were affected by the rising water. In some areas, vehicles were also surrounded by or partially submerged in floodwater.
One of the more serious incidents was reported near the Rangat Mini Stadium, where a car belonging to a Driving School was reportedly swept away by floodwater during the morning.
Road connectivity was also affected at multiple locations. Near the 4-kilometre point at Sabri Village area, a portion of National Highway-4 was damaged following a landslide. The National Highways authorities reportedly began temporary repair work soon after the incident to prevent prolonged disruption to traffic. Another road stretch near the Water Treatment Plant Road and APWD Camp at Bakultala was also damaged due to a landslide.
Local representatives said that Dashrathpur and adjoining low-lying areas experienced substantial water accumulation. Dashrathpur Pradhan Mrs. Rupa Rani told Andaman Sheekha Daily that water began the area from around 5 a.m. after rain continued through the night. She said water crossed over the Steel Bridge at Sitapur and entered several residential areas, including Dashrathpur and Janakpur Dhakua Colony.
The Pradhan said that the situation later improved as rainfall became intermittent and water levels began receding. According to her, the extent of flooding was lower than during previous heavy-rain events, when water had reportedly accumulated over roads and entered homes on a larger scale. She said no major structural damage had been reported in Dashrathpur during the present spell, although water did enter several houses.
Explaining the recurring waterlogging, the Pradhan said Dashrathpur is a low-lying agricultural area through which water from higher locations flows. She said a drainage channel between Dashrathpur and Sitapur plays an important role in carrying away excess water, but its inadequate clearance has contributed to recurring flooding. She said local representatives had previously submitted requests to the administration for clearing and desilting the drainage channel and planned to submit another reminder.
Zilla Parishad Member of Rangat area, Mr. Tapas Roy also highlighted the impact of the heavy rainfall on residents and local infrastructure. Local representatives, civil defence personnel and other workers were involved in assistance and field-level response operations in affected areas.
Mentioning that excessive pressure on drainage causes such floods Mr. Roy said that if every PRI is provided with sufficient funds and the necessary processes are made easier for PRI members to carry out development work, the situation can improve significantly. “Infrastructure is expanding rapidly, with more houses and other construction coming up, but roads, drains and culverts are not being developed at the same pace,” he said.
Mr. Roy said that this is one of the biggest reasons for waterlogging in our area. “The NH4 works are also not being carried out properly. At several places, large quantities of construction material have been dumped along the highway, leading to sliding. In many places, drains have been left incomplete—only part of the drain has been constructed while the remaining portion has been left blocked or unfinished. As a result, water is accumulating and causing severe waterlogging,” he added.
He mentioned that there is no doubt that we have experienced record-breaking rainfall. “However, even with such heavy rain, the extent of damage across our entire area would not have been as severe as it is now if the drainage and infrastructure had been properly developed and maintained,” Mr. Roy said.
The Rangat administration’s Civil Defence team remained engaged in relief and response activities from the morning. Teams inspected different affected locations and provided assistance wherever required. At the time of reporting, there were no confirmed reports of people being trapped or requiring emergency evacuation.
The rainfall also affected normal movement and daily activities in several parts of Rangat. Residents in low-lying areas remained alert as intermittent rain continued, particularly because further rainfall could again raise water levels.
The current episode has also renewed concerns over drainage and flood management in vulnerable areas of Rangat. Local representatives have called for regular clearing and desilting of drainage channels so that excess rainwater can flow out more efficiently during periods of intense rainfall.
Authorities and residents continued to monitor the situation as rainfall persisted across parts of Middle Andaman on Wednesday. While water levels had receded, the possibility of further water accumulation remained dependent on the intensity and duration of rainfall.
