A viral video circulating on social media shows a torrent of water filled with massive logs racing through river channels, a sight eerily reminiscent of scenes from the film Pushpa, but tragically real.
The flash floods, intensified by days of heavy rainfall, led to widespread landslides, uprooting trees and carrying debris from hillsides into rivers.
However, what has shocked many is the sheer volume of timber, much of it believed to be commercially cut, raising concerns about the role of illegal logging and deforestation in exacerbating the crisis.
Authorities are on high alert. Rescue teams, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), are working alongside local communities to intercept floating logs using temporary barriers.
The priority is to prevent the timber from damaging dams, bridges, and other critical infrastructure.
“Floodwaters mixed with timber pose a dual threat, they intensify erosion and can clog or damage hydro infrastructure,” said a local official.
Experts have long warned that deforestation, unregulated tree felling, and poor slope management has made the hill state vulnerable, especially during the rains.
