The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) restored the Kimin-Potin road in Arunachal Pradesh within 36 hours after torrential monsoon rains, flash floods, and landslides caused widespread destruction across Keyi Panyor and Papum Pare districts, officials said on Sunday, 28 June. The flash flood death toll in Keyi Panyor has meanwhile risen to two, with three persons still missing.

Scale of the Damage

According to Defence spokesman Lt Col Mahendra Rawat, incessant rainfall triggered multiple landslides and major formation breaches along the 45-km road stretch, washing away sections of the carriageway and burying several portions under mud, boulders, and uprooted trees. Vehicular movement was completely halted, snapping connectivity to key locations including Potin, Yazali, Yachuli, Joram, and Ziro.

The disruption severely affected the movement of essential commodities, emergency response teams, and access to critical healthcare facilities — including the Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (TRIHMS) in Naharlagun. With National Highway-13 also rendered inaccessible due to extensive flood damage, restoring the Kimin-Potin road became the only viable lifeline for relief and rescue operations.

BRO's Round-the-Clock Restoration

Responding to a request from the civil administration, BRO's 756 Border Roads Task Force (BRTF), under Project Arunank, mobilised nearly 80 personnel alongside heavy earth-moving machinery. Working through relentless rainfall, unstable hill slopes, and recurring landslides, BRO teams cleared debris, reconstructed damaged embankments, and restored the road to traffic-worthy condition — all within 36 hours.

The road was reopened for vehicular movement at midnight between Saturday and Sunday, re-establishing connectivity and enabling the movement of relief materials, emergency services, and the general public, Lt Col Rawat said. The BRO is also undertaking the upgrade of the Kimin-Potin road to double-lane specifications, which will enhance its long-term resilience and carrying capacity in this strategically important corridor.

Flash Flood Toll and Search Operations

The death toll from rain-triggered flash floods in Keyi Panyor district since 23 June rose to two after rescuers recovered the body of a 30-year-old woman from beneath debris at the NEEPCO Colony on Saturday. Three persons remain missing and have been identified as Elesh Marak (13), Tao Anjina (46), and Sourav Kumar (48).

Search and rescue operations by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and Keyi Panyor Police are continuing. At least 20 people sustained injuries of varying severity, with three reported to be in critical condition; all injured have been shifted to a government hospital.

Relief Deployment and Cause of Flooding

An Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter was deployed on 25 June to airlift relief materials — including a rescue boat — and transport National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel to the flood-affected district. Officials said an under-construction retaining wall collapsed following heavy rainfall, leading to severe waterlogging in low-lying residential areas around the NEEPCO colony. Around 20 houses and residential units were damaged in the Yazali circle after continuous rainfall since 23 June. Five persons were initially reported missing after flash floods inundated the NEEPCO project colony near Poosa under the Yazali circle.

As monsoon conditions persist across the northeastern region, authorities are maintaining heightened vigil across vulnerable stretches of Arunachal Pradesh.