Villagers in the flood-ravaged Nari-Koyu constituency of Arunachal Pradesh's Lower Siang district are relying on elephants to transport essential supplies after flash floods destroyed roads and bridges, cutting off several remote settlements. With conventional transport routes rendered unusable, the animals have become a crucial lifeline for hundreds of residents by carrying relief materials, fuel and medicines to areas that remain inaccessible by vehicles. The unusual relief effort highlights the severe logistical challenges faced in one of the state's worst-hit regions.
The recent flash floods devastated the constituency's road network, severely disrupting communication, particularly with villages under the Koyu circle. According to local authorities, more than 12 villages continue to remain isolated as key roads and bridges have yet to be restored. In response, the district administration, working with local residents, has deployed elephants to move essential supplies across rugged terrain, ensuring that stranded communities continue to receive basic necessities despite the damaged infrastructure.
The relief operation has proven to be demanding, with the elephants navigating steep hills, swollen rivers and rocky paths while carrying heavy loads. Their ability to traverse terrain that vehicles cannot access has made them indispensable to ongoing humanitarian efforts. Officials and villagers have praised the role of the animals, whose steady movement through difficult landscapes has helped sustain relief operations during a period when conventional transport remains impossible.
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Arunachal Pradesh has been grappling with the aftermath of cloudbursts, heavy rainfall and flash floods for nearly three weeks. According to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), more than one lakh people across the state continue to be affected by the disaster. Although water levels have receded in several rivers, thousands of residents are still dealing with damaged infrastructure, disrupted services and the long process of recovery following multiple cloudburst-triggered floods.
The disaster has affected numerous districts, including Keyi Panyor, Lower Siang, Leparada, East Siang, Upper Siang, Lower Dibang, Kurung Kumey, Pakke Kessang, Kamle, Siang, Kra Daadi, Tirap, Changlang and East Kameng. Government data indicates that at least 12 people have lost their lives while 29 others have been injured. In response to the crisis, Union Ministers Shivraj Singh Chauhan and Kiren Rijiju visited the affected areas on the directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Their visit was followed by an assessment conducted by an eight-member Inter-Ministerial Central Team to evaluate the extent of the damage.
Calls for additional assistance have continued as the state struggles to recover from the widespread destruction. Rajya Sabha MP Tai Tagak has urged the Centre to announce a special relief and rehabilitation package, with many residents comparing the scale of devastation to the aftermath of the 1950 Assam earthquake. Advocate Kenbom Bagra, Zonal Director (NER) of the International Human Rights Organization, has also appealed for the floods to be declared a national disaster and sought a special relief package of Rs 5,000 crore. He said many affected communities continue to face shortages of food, shelter, clean drinking water and healthcare, underscoring the urgent need for sustained relief and rehabilitation efforts.
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