AGARTALA: Incessant rains since Friday morning flooded all the major parts of Agartala city and its peripheral areas as Tripura received 145 mm rainfall in just six hours.
As the flood situation worsened, the education department has ordered closure of schools and other education institutions to avoid untoward incident.
NDRF, SDRF and Civil Defense volunteers were pressed into service for rescue operations that continued till late night.
Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha directed the officials concerned to take necessary steps.
“This is a natural disaster. NDRF and SDRF teams are working to tackle the situation. All the officials are working and we hope the situation will effectively be brought under control,” said Dr Saha while taking stock of the situation from Integrated Command and Control Centre of Agartala Smart City project.
Addressing a press conference at the civil secretariat, Tripura State Disaster Management Program Officer Sarat Kumar Das said, “As much as seven relief camps were opened at different parts of Agartala city. Crash messages were forwarded soon after we felt that the situation could turn worse. All the District Magistrates are directed to evacuate people from the low lying areas with the help of civil NDRF personnel and Tripura State Rifle Jawans.”
According to Das, relief camps had been opened at Radhamadhab Mandir, Indranagar School, Gitaban Community Hall, Kasmari School, Mula Para School, Das Para School, Pratapgarh School, MTB School.
Three more schools are already identified, if necessary relief camps would be opened there as well.
In many areas, flood water inundated residential areas, markets, schools and river Howrah which passed through Agartala city has already reached the warning level.
Sources said, 37 children were rescued from a school bus stuck in floods in Agartala.