Assam floods: Death toll reaches 118, over 33 lakh affected
The death toll due to floods in Assam rose to 118 on Saturday, while the Cachar district's Silchar town remained submerged in water for the sixth consecutive day, said officials. Ten more people died in the last 24 hours as a result of floods and landslides: two from each of the Cachar and Morigaon districts and one each from Barpeta, Dhubri, Karimganj, and Udalguri.
Why does this story matter?
While floods are normal in Assam during the monsoon months, they arrived early this year and have been creating havoc since last month. The flood situation in Assam has been turning grim over the past few days, with rivers, including the Brahmaputra, flowing above danger marks, inundating new areas and causing damage and destruction to life and property. On Saturday, the situation improved marginally.
Situation marginally improved with rivers showing receding trend
According to an Assam State Management Disaster Authority (ASDMA) bulletin, the total population affected by the floods has decreased to 33.03 lakh in 28 districts, down from 45.34 lakh in 30 districts the previous day. As rivers receded, the situation improved slightly in some districts. However, the Brahmaputra at Dhubri and the Kopili river in Nagaon were still flowing above the danger mark.
Situation remains grim in Silchar
The ASDMA has sent two drones to the severely impacted Cachar district's Silchar town to map flood inundation and provide relief items in inaccessible areas. In Silchar, eight National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams from Itanagar and Bhubaneswar, as well as an Army team from Dimapur in Nagaland, have been deployed. People sought refuge on embankment dams and highways since several areas remained inundated.
Helpline number for Cachar district residents
The helpline numbers 0361-2237219, 9401044617, and 1079 (toll-free) were also set up by the state government for the residents of the Cachar district who were adversely affected. The Assam government has airlifted 85.2 metric tons of relief supplies to Silchar from Jorhat and Guwahati.
CM Sarma conducted aerial survey, visited Nagaon, Morigaon districts
On Thursday, following an aerial survey of Silchar town, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma declared that additional Army columns would be sent to Silchar for evacuation. He also visited the flood-affected areas of the Nagaon and Morigaon districts. The CM said that after the floodwaters recede, the government will look for a permanent solution to deal with the floods that occur every year.
Sonowal visited Nagaon relief camp
Sarbananda Sonowal, the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, and Ayush, visited the relief camp set up at Phulaguri Higher Secondary School in the Nagaon district on Wednesday. The situation in the Karimganj district has deteriorated, with several areas being affected by the floodwaters of the Kushiyara, Longai, and Singla rivers and affecting more than 1.34 lakh people in the district.
Barpeta, Kamrup, and Nagaon among worst-affected
Devastating floods caused by incessant rain have continued to ravage Assam, leaving approximately 5,137 villages submerged. Barpeta is the worst-affected district, with over 8.76 lakh people impacted, followed by Nagaon, which has nearly five lakh people affected, while Kamrup still has nearly four lakh people affected. The victims of the flooding earlier said that they have surrendered to God.
140 rescued by the Army alone
The Indian Army, NDRF, SDRF, Assam Police, and other volunteers are helping district administrations with rescue operations. The Srikona battalion of the Spear Corps under the Army conducted extensive operations on Friday to evacuate at least 140 people who were stuck in their homes. Over 33 lakh people are still stranded in 3,510 villages spread across 28 districts as a result of the flooding.
2.32 lakh people currently lodged in 810 relief camps
A disaster management report recently mentioned that nearly 2.32 lakh people are currently lodged in 810 relief camps while seven people have gone missing. As many as 11,67,219 children from 4,941 villages have been affected. A total of 1,13,485.37 hectares of land was affected by the deluge. Additionally, at least 11,292 people have been evacuated from the affected areas.
Over 1 lakh hectares of cropland submerged
Floodwaters have immersed 1,07,370.43 hectares of cropland, and the deluge has affected over 29.28 lakh domesticated animals and poultry across 25 districts in the state. The villagers, who lost everything in the flood, earlier said the concerned district authorities didn't provide them with any relief materials. The majority of villagers were surviving on their remaining meager rations and by fishing in the floodwaters.
