Guwahati, June 17 (IANS) The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday issued a red alert with extremely heavy rain, thunderstorm and lightning, squall for the next two days in Assam and the orange alert for June 20 across the states of Assam and Meghalaya, officials said on Tuesday.

The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) in a statement said that the weather pattern suggests that heavy to very heavy rainfall is very likely at the isolated places in various districts of Assam on June 18 and the heavy rainfall might aggravate water logging, slow vehicular movement, and increase the risk of localised landslides in vulnerable pockets.

The ASDMA said that the local authorities are closely monitoring the situation, and emergency response systems are being kept on alert.

In view of the prediction and also recent incidents of floods, landslides and water blockage due to very heavy rainfall occurring a few days back, the ASDMA requests all the people of the state to take all necessary precautions and remain vigilant.

Daily commuters and long-distance travellers are requested to plan their routines accordingly, avoiding unnecessary movement during periods of intense rainfall, the statement said.

The ASDMA urged the residents in low-lying and hillside areas should stay alert for any signs of flooding or landslides. Residents in vulnerable areas are further advised to keep an adequate stock of essential items such as medicines, candles, etc. They are advised to reach out to the ASDMA and DDMA emergency phone numbers.

The statement further said that the people living in the identified landslide-prone vulnerable areas of the state are advised to shift themselves to the safe shelters (relief camps) or other safer places of their choice for the next three days.

The public has also been urged to stay tuned to official weather updates and follow advisories issued by local authorities to ensure safety during this prolonged spell of rain.

The status of the situation would be updated by ASDMA from time to time for general awareness, the statement added.

Meanwhile, in the first spell of monsoon in the last week of May and the first week of this month, over 6.79 lakh people were affected in 21 districts in Assam.

As per the ASDMA report, over 14,977 hectares of crop lands were affected in 1,494 villages in 21 districts. The total number of people losing their lives in this year’s flood and landslide has been officially reported as 28 across the state.

–IANS

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