Siang water level starts receding as weather improves

With improvement in weather conditions on Saturday, the water level in Siang river in Arunachal Pradesh has started receding, officials said.

East Siang district deputy commissioner Tamiyo Tatak said that the water level of the Siang river at Pasighat, the district headquarters, is normal although there were high tides.

"The water level of the river receded since last evening with improvement in weather," he said over phone.

Official sources from Tuting in Upper Siang district said that the water level of the river is gradually receding.

According to National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the water level of the Siang river at Tuting recorded in the morning was 415.17 meter and that in Pasighat was 153.30 meter.

Siang river, which originates in Tibet, is known as Tsangpo in China. It joins Lohit and Dibang rivers downstream to form the Brahmaputra in Assam.

Nineteen persons were rescued by the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Friday who were stranded in an island at Siang river in East Siang district.

On Thursday, the East Siang district administration had requisitioned IAF for helicopter to evacuate people stranded at Jampani under Sille-Oyan circle of the district.

The rescued, all cattle herders from Assam, were stranded after the water level rose with high current making it impossible for boats to ferry.

The district administration has advised people to stay away from venturing into the Siang River as it was in high spate with unusual high tides.

Many low-lying areas are staring at flood and erosion, especially in Mebo circle under the district.

Over 1,000 families living along the river bank have been affected at Mebo, local legislator Lombo Tayeng had said on Thursday.

According to a Chinese government report, Tsangpo was in spate because of heavy rains. The various gauge and discharge stations on the Tsangpo had observed a discharge of 9,020 cumec (cubic metre per second) water on Wednesday, official sources said.

"There is nothing to panic as the Central Water Commission (CWC) has reported that the Grand Canyon of Tsangpo on August 14 was 8,070 cumec but its increase should not inflict severe damages," an official quoting the Chinese report said.