ITANAGAR, Aug 8: Parts of Mebo sub-division and other low-lying areas under East Siang district are reportedly experiencing strange and abnormally high tides in the Siang River, flooding hundreds of hectares of agricultural land, forest areas and human habitats, while the flow of river upstream is reported to be normal with areas close to riverbank remaining unaffected.
This was informed by Advisor to CM cum Mebo local MLA, Lombo Tayeng.
Briefing reporters about the situation in Mebo subdivision here on Wednesday, Tayeng said that he will assess the ground situation soon.
“This is something we have not seen before in the Siang River. But one thing is for sure, the tides are extremely strange and unnatural,” said MLA Lombo Tayeng, who, after the strange sighting issued an advisory on Wednesday to the villages along the river side to remain alert.
Tayeng suspected that contributing factors which caused the anomalous high tide could be “changing weather pattern or pushing backward water current from below”.
“Although Siang River is unpredictable, it is still uncommon to have anomalies like this considering the intensity and type of unnatural changes now occurring,” he added.
Describing the condition of the flood affected areas, he added, ” Abnormal tides have been running unusually high in very normal weather condition and is concentrated only in Mebo area, while the flow of current is completely silent in upstream (highland areas) -Namsing and its adjoining areas.”
Tayeng said that he had also informed the matter on emergency basis to Chief Minister Pema Khandu, who then directed the secretary, disaster management to depute a team to monitor the tides to have better understanding of the phenomena and fully examine the possible causes for the unusual occurrence in the Siang River.