Cyclone Remal wreaks havoc in Tripura: Over 2500 rendered homeless

AGARTALA: Cyclone Remal’s onslaught has left more than 2500 people homeless and caused damage to over 550 houses in Tripura, according to the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC).

The continuous rainfall, thunderstorms, and gusty winds have severely impacted Tripura.

Relief Efforts and Damage Assessment

The SEOC reported that the homeless have been provided shelter in 30 relief camps.

As of Tuesday (May 28), 469 houses were partially damaged, 97 were severely damaged, and seven were completely destroyed across various parts of Tripura.

Despite the heavy rainfall, most rivers have receded below flood levels.

Areas Affected

The most affected areas include Agartala, Jirania and Mohanpur in the West district; Jampuijala in Sepahijala district; Amarpur and Karbook in Gomati district; Gandatwisa in Dhalai district; and parts of Khowai district.

Tripura received an average rainfall of 167.7 mm, with Unakoti district recording the highest rainfall at 252.4 mm and the South district recording the lowest at 168.0 mm.

Electricity and Agriculture Impact

Tripura power minister Ratan Lal Nath informed that the cyclone damaged 686 electric poles, disrupted 234 km of electric transmission lines, and left 82 transformers out of order.

The agricultural sector also suffered, with 397 hectares of cultivable land belonging to 1764 farmers affected, leading to a cumulative loss of nearly Rs 8.30 crore and damage to an estimated 384 MT of standing crops.

Precautionary Measures and Forecast

Tripura government issued a red alert on Sunday (May 27) for four districts: South, Khowai, Dhalai and West.

As a precaution, all schools, educational institutions, and anganwadi centres remained closed on May 27 and 28.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted light to moderate rainfall at many places across Tripura on Wednesday (May 29).

As Tripura grapples with the aftermath of Cyclone Remal, the state government and emergency services continue their efforts to provide relief and restore normalcy in the affected areas.