Assam Lakhimpur Floods: How Sudden Dam Water Release from Arunachal Sparked Chaos

Around 1 a.m. on Saturday, the water level of the Ranganadi River began to rise sharply, flooding villages across Assam’s Lakhimpur district.

The sudden overflow followed the release of dam water from the Panyor Hydro Electric Plant (PHEP) in Arunachal Pradesh on Friday evening. The plant, run by North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO), is located upstream at Yazali.

Two men—Biren Pawe and Rajkumar Taid—died after being trapped in their flooded homes in Nowboicha. Thousands more were stranded as floodwaters rushed into homes, schools, roads, and farmland.

“There was no warning. We woke up to water entering our house,” said Ranjita Taid, a resident of Deobil village. “We had to run, leaving everything behind.”

So far, 243 villages have been affected. Over 46,000 people are impacted across five revenue circles. National Highway 15 has been closed after floodwater submerged parts of it in Gendhali and Khagorigaon. Vehicles are stranded on both sides of the road.

𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝-𝐇𝐢𝐭 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐝𝐢

The flood was triggered by the sudden release of water from the NEEPCO Dam, which caused severe destruction in the adjoining regions. pic.twitter.com/r0ibDVUtP6

— Mising Autonomous Council (@mac_assam) June 2, 2025

The Mora Singra embankment broke at Atichuk. In Pohumora, water from the PHEP breached another embankment, flooding a large area including Pohumora High School, Satajan Bird Sanctuary, and the Phumora-Kimin interstate road, cutting off parts of Assam from Arunachal Pradesh.

In Aamtola, the river breached a locally known embankment, flooding over 100 villages in the North Lakhimpur Revenue Circle.

“The release of water from the dam without coordination has caused this,” said an SDRF official involved in rescue work. “We are evacuating families round the clock.”

The flood has damaged over 454 hectares of farmland and affected 22,871 livestock, according to district officials. Three relief camps are now sheltering 425 people. Rescue operations are being led by one NDRF team and four SDRF teams.

CM visits, Orders probe

On Sunday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited flood-hit areas in Lakhimpur. He walked through waterlogged villages in the Naoboicha constituency and met affected residents.

“I have ordered an inquiry into how the dam water was released and why local authorities were not warned,” he said while speaking to the press.

The CM also announced that the breached Amtala embankment, built in 1989, would be repaired immediately. Full reconstruction is planned for September–October.

He also directed officials to drain stagnant floodwaters through a nearby stream to help displaced residents return home sooner.

“We’ll ensure this doesn’t happen again. All future water releases must follow a phased protocol and advance alerts,” the CM said during a review meeting at Lilabari Airport with NEEPCO and district officials.

Major damage to roads, infrastructure

The flood damaged parts of the Pahumara–Dijo connecting road, still under construction under the Asom Mala project. The CM asked the concerned department to act immediately.

“We will restore road links as quickly as possible,” said a PWD official.

Erosion at the Barbila embankment also raised concern. The CM asked the Water Resources Department to start anti-erosion work without delay.

Ministers Ranoj Pegu, Pijush Hazarika, Keshab Mahanta, and MLAs joined the visit, along with Deputy Commissioner Pronabjit Kakoty and senior officers. “The damage is massive, but we’re working nonstop to restore normalcy,” said DC Kakoty.

With floodwaters still affecting vast areas of Lakhimpur, the focus now shifts to relief, rehabilitation, and accountability. The administration faces the challenge of restoring roads, homes, and communication lines while ensuring proper coordination with upstream authorities like NEEPCO to prevent repeat incidents. Residents, many of whom lost everything overnight, continue to wait for sustained support, early warning systems, and long-term flood protection.

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