Manipur: Heavy Rain Causes Floods, Landslides After Nambol River Embankment Breach in Bishnupur

Imphal, July 21: Relentless monsoon rain over the last two days has caused severe flooding and landslides across several parts of Manipur, with the situation becoming more critical after a section of the Nambol River embankment collapsed in Bishnupur district on Monday.

The breach, measuring nearly 10 feet, occurred around 2 pm at Kongkham Mamang Leikai, allowing large volumes of floodwater to rush into nearby villages. Vast stretches of paddy fields, residential areas, and fish ponds were submerged, causing extensive damage to property and agriculture. Local residents also reported that fish from multiple ponds were swept away by the powerful flood currents.

Officials from the State Water Resources Department said that both the Nambol and Nambul rivers are flowing above the prescribed warning level due to continuous heavy rainfall.

Waterlogging has been reported in several low-lying areas of Imphal, especially along Tiddim Road, disrupting normal movement. Meanwhile, rain-triggered landslides have affected parts of Tamenglong and Noney districts, hampering transportation and raising safety concerns.

Emergency restoration work is currently underway to plug the breached embankment. Teams from the Bishnupur district administration, the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO), Nambol, Nambol Police, the Indian Red Cross Society’s Bishnupur district branch, along with local volunteers, have been working continuously to control the situation.

However, the damaged embankment remained unrepaired at the time of filing this report.

The flood threat is expected to persist in the coming days as the India Meteorological Department

(IMD) has issued an Orange Alert for several northeastern states, forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall along with thunderstorms. While neighboring states such as Assam, Tripura, Mizoram, and Nagaland are also likely to witness severe weather, Manipur is expected to receive intense rainfall until July 26, increasing the risk of additional floods and landslides across the state.