The weather didn’t care about the plan. And for the people of flood-ravaged Arunachal Pradesh, that stings.
Rajya Sabha MP Tai Tagak was forced to cancel a planned aerial survey of flood-affected districts in Arunachal Pradesh on July 7, after inclement weather made it impossible for the helicopter to take off. He had come prepared. He had come committed. But the skies had other plans.
Waiting at the Helipad — Hours of Hope, Nothing to Show
Tagak, along with his team, waited throughout the day at the Naharlagun helipad hoping for weather clearance so they could undertake a helicopter survey of the flood-ravaged areas in Lower Siang, Leparada, and East Siang districts. It never came. A state-owned Global Vectra Bell 412 helicopter had been deployed for the mission, which was supposed to cover Siji and Igor in Lower Siang, Basar in Leparada, Koyu in Lower Siang, and the Advanced Landing Ground at Pasighat in East Siang district. That’s a lot of ground — and a lot of suffering — left unseen from the air. So he chose to go on the ground instead.
Two Weeks Into Office, Already in the Field
Here’s what makes this story worth paying attention to. Tagak mentioned that it had been only two weeks since he took oath as a Rajya Sabha member, yet he was already committed to standing with people during times of crisis. That’s not something many freshly elected representatives do. He noted that his very first field visit after assuming office was to Keyi Panyor district, which was severely affected by a devastating cloudburst on June 24. He didn’t wait for the cameras or a comfortable situation. He went.
“We Will Ensure Help Reaches Every Corner”
Assuring full support to the flood victims, Tagak described the disaster as deeply painful and said he would pursue every possible assistance from the Union government. “As a representative of the state in the Rajya Sabha, I will seek every possible support from the Central government to help the affected districts. We will ensure that district administrations receive the necessary logistics and assistance so that essential commodities reach people during this difficult period,” he said. Strong words. Now the real test is whether those words turn into action fast enough for the people still waiting for relief.
Centre Has Already Taken Note
This isn’t happening in isolation. Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, accompanied by a central delegation, had earlier conducted both aerial and ground assessments of flood-affected areas in Keyi Panyor and East Siang districts, alongside Union Minister Kiren Rijiju and Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu. The top brass has visited. The MP is on the ground. But for thousands of families still struggling with floodwaters, visits are only the beginning — what they need is faster relief, better logistics, and someone who actually follows through.
The weather may have grounded the helicopter. But it didn’t ground the intent. Let’s hope the intent is enough.
— Naitik
Abotani TV
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