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Rescue personnel assist locals in moving to a safer place at a flood-affected area amid rainfall on the outskirts of Agartala, Tripura, on June 1.

The skies over Northeast India continue to unleash a relentless downpour, plunging the region into crisis. Assam and Manipur are at the heart of the unfolding disaster, where rivers have burst their banks, landslides have scarred the hills, and tens of thousands are now battling the wrath of nature.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued red alerts for Assam and Meghalaya, warning of even more heavy rainfall ahead. Similar warnings have been sent out for Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, and Tripura, all set to face intense downpours. For the people in low-lying areas, the threat isn’t just real — it’s rising fast.

Two more deaths on June 1 pushed the flood and landslide toll in Assam to 10, as over four lakh people remained affected across 20 districts. An official bulletin reported that seven major rivers are in spate, including the Brahmaputra and Dhansiri.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma warned that the situation may worsen in low-lying and riverbank areas. Union Home Minister Amit Shah contacted Sarma to assess the crisis and assured full support from the Centre. Rescue efforts continued across the state, including an Indian Air Force operation that airlifted 14 stranded individuals from the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border.

Heavy rainfall has crippled infrastructure — road, rail, and ferry services have been disrupted. In Kamrup district, National Highway-17 has been overtopped, and ferry routes like Jorhat-Majuli have been suspended. Four trains were cancelled on the Baraigram-Dullabcherra section due to waterlogged tracks.

Assam’s government has announced ₹4 lakh in ex-gratia for the families of five landslide victims in Guwahati. According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), one death each was recorded in Cachar and Sribhumi in the last 24 hours. Cachar is the worst-hit district with over one lakh affected residents, followed by Sribhumi and Nagaon.

More than 3,500 hectares of cropland are submerged and 696 animals have perished. Relief efforts are underway with 52 camps housing over 10,000 people and 103 distribution centers operating. ‘Urban floods’ have impacted over 41,000 people in four districts, while landslides were also reported across four regions.

In Arunachal Pradesh, rainfall has reached critical levels in Kibitoo, Hayuliang, and Kalaktang, prompting fears of increased river flows downstream into Assam.

Manipur too is facing devastation. Over 19,800 people have been affected and 3,365 homes damaged due to breached embankments and overflowing rivers. Imphal East district has borne the brunt, with 31 relief camps set up. Forty-seven landslides have been recorded across the state.

Imphal’s Heingang, Wangkhei, and Khurai areas are submerged, as is much of the capital itself. The Iril river has crossed danger levels. Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla surveyed affected areas and announced an extension of school vacations in severely hit districts.

Rescue operations led by the Indian Army and Assam Rifles saved nearly 800 people from submerged zones in Imphal East. Lok Sabha MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam has urged the Governor to declare the disaster a “state calamity.”