Guwahati, April 11: After the pandemic played spoilsport for two years, it seems inclement weather might now have a bearing on the Rongali Bihu celebrations in Assam and elsewhere in the region.
As Bihu committees look to make up for two lost years and are now engaged in last-minute preparations to celebrate the state’s biggest festival with zeal and enthusiasm, a three-day rain alert by the Met office here is not very encouraging though.
The Regional Meteorological Centre on Monday predicted increased rainfall activity across the Northeastern states from April 13 (which marks the onset of the seven-day festival) to April 15, 2022.
“A cyclonic circulation lies over west Assam and neighbourhood at 0.9 km above mean sea level on Monday with a trough aloft with its axis at 1.5 km above mean sea level and runs roughly along 89 degrees East longitude and to the north of 23 degrees North latitude. Moisture incursion is very likely to occur due to strong lower level southerly/southwesterly winds from the Bay of Bengal to Northeast India during April 13 to 15 2022. Under its influence, fairly widespread to widespread rainfall activity with isolated heavy to very heavy falls is very likely to occur over the northeast region during the three day,” a statement by the RMC here said.
“Thunderstorm/ lightning with gusty winds (40-50 km per hour) are also expected over Assam during April 13 and 14,” it warned.
The probable impacts, the Met office said, could be occasional reduction in visibility due to heavy rainfall, water logging in low-lying areas, localised landslides, possibilities of flash floods, increase in river water levels, temporary disruption of traffic due to water-logging in roads leading to increased travel time, damage to kutcha roads owing to very heavy rainfall, possibility of damages to vulnerable structures due to very heavy rainfall and strong winds, et al.
As it is, the region has been witnessing high rainfall since the past couple of weeks with the year’s first floods hitting Dibrugarh district last Wednesday with reportedly over 3,000 people, including 1,000 children, affected.