Severe Kalbaishakhi Storm Batters Tripura, Disrupts Transport, Power Supply and Livelihoods Across Multiple Districts

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, April 28, 2026

A powerful spell of Kalbaishakhi storms that had been occurring intermittently over the past three days intensified dramatically from midnight yesterday, leaving a trail of destruction across several parts of Tripura. Extensive damage has been reported from South Tripura, Sepahijala, and Gomati districts, where strong winds, heavy rainfall, lightning, and hailstorms severely disrupted normal life.

Large areas including Sonamura, Shantirbazar, Bishramganj, Sabroom, and Bishalgarh have been severely affected by prolonged power outages, causing immense hardship for residents. The electricity disruption has also triggered a drinking water crisis in several areas, as water supply systems depend heavily on power.

The impact of the storm has extended beyond infrastructure damage, significantly disrupting transportation services across the state. Railway movement and public transport services were affected in several areas due to blocked roads, fallen trees, and damaged infrastructure. Air travel was also badly hit, with a large number of flights cancelled or delayed at Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport. Passengers faced considerable inconvenience as flight schedules were disrupted amid adverse weather conditions.

According to the Meteorological Department, the weather is expected to remain unstable, with cloudy skies, thunderstorms, lightning, and heavy rainfall likely to continue tomorrow as well, raising concerns of further damage.

In Kathalia Block under Sonamura subdivision, the storm that struck around 6:30 PM on Sunday lasted for nearly 40 minutes but caused massive destruction. Several panchayat areas in the block witnessed uprooting of large trees that fell on houses, shops, and electric lines. Roads were blocked in multiple places, isolating villages and hampering movement. The collapse of electric poles and snapping of wires brought power supply to a complete standstill across the region.

In South Maheshpur, a large mango tree fell on the shop of Prashanta Deb, causing significant losses. In another incident, a decades-old tree near the Forest Department range office collapsed onto the house of Ratna Deb, severely damaging the structure. Officials from the Forest Department, along with local residents, initiated tree removal operations on Monday morning. In Kathalia panchayat area, the storm blew away an entire house belonging to Sadhan Das, while in Amma Mura village under Uttar Paharpur Gram Panchayat, the tin roof of a poor resident, Basanti Tripura, was completely torn off. Initial estimates suggest that many more families have been affected, and the total damage could be significantly higher.

The situation has worsened due to continuous power cuts since Sunday evening, leading to an acute drinking water crisis. Residents have expressed strong dissatisfaction, alleging that there has been little visible effort from the concerned departments to restore electricity and normalcy.

Meanwhile, in Sabroom Subdivision, the storm has devastated several betel leaf gardens, particularly in Battali Gram Panchayat. Farmers like Arjun Dey and Dilip Das have suffered heavy losses as their plantations, which were their only source of livelihood, were almost completely destroyed within minutes. Speaking emotionally to the media, Arjun Dey said that everything was lost in just a few minutes, leaving him uncertain about how to sustain his family. Dilip Das echoed similar concerns, stating that he has been left completely destitute. Both farmers have appealed to the Tripura government for immediate financial assistance, warning that their future remains uncertain without timely support. Local administration has begun assessing the damage, and affected farmers are hoping for prompt relief.

In Shantirbazar town, areas around Bhagat Singh Corner and Ashramtila Mahadev Temple were badly hit as strong winds uprooted numerous trees, blocking roads and damaging electric infrastructure. Many houses lost their tin roofs, leaving families in distress. On Monday morning, local leader Debashish Bhowmik, Mandal President of 36 Shantirbazar Mandal, visited the affected areas, interacted with residents, and reviewed the situation. He emphasized the need for immediate restoration work, including clearing roads and repairing electricity lines on a war footing. He also urged the administration to assist families whose homes were damaged and ensured that relief efforts would be carried out promptly. Under his supervision, teams from the fire service, electricity department, and forest department began clearing fallen trees and restoring connectivity.

Residents reported that fallen trees in Ashramtila Mahadev Temple premises and Bhagat Singh Corner had completely disrupted traffic until Monday morning. Following the intervention, road clearance operations started, bringing partial relief to commuters.

Overall, the Kalbaishakhi storm has left a significant impact across southern Tripura, affecting infrastructure, transportation, livelihoods, and basic services. Authorities are currently assessing the full extent of the damage, while affected residents await swift restoration of electricity, water supply, transport services, and financial assistance.

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