Even before the start of the monsoon season, when rivers run wild, the East Kameng district administration issued a high alert in Seppa after the Kameng River began flowing with high turbulence in its upper reaches, some 40 kilometres away from the picturesque district headquarters.
Not only that, the Para River – one of the tributaries of the Kameng – was also flowing above the danger level near Rebe village in Chayang Tajo administrative circle.
The Kameng River has become increasingly unpredictable over the last couple of years, from flooding to turbidity.
In October 2021, when a landslide struck Wapra Bung – one of its major tributaries – in the Himalayan glacial region, the river turned turbid. As a result, aquatic life perished as the river remained turbid for months.
With weather patterns becoming increasingly unpredictable – with severe storms, landslides, glacial lake melting, and damming of rivers – the behaviour of the mountains and rivers is also constantly changing. Turbid rivers are no longer a new phenomenon in the state, as all the major rivers have turned turbid for extended periods due to landslides and damming. Aquatic life has been severely damaged as a consequence of this turbidity.
The focus must now shift to early warning systems in order to minimise destruction.