Assam flood situation deteriorates; heavy rain alert in Kerala districts
The flood situation in the Assam worsened further on Wednesday, with the number of affected people rising to 6.62 lakh in 27 districts of the state. Meanwhile, the death toll rose to nine after one more person lost his life in the Darrang district. According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), 1,413 villages of the state are underwater at present.
Why does this story matter?
While floods are normal in Assam during the monsoon months, they seem to have arrived early this year. Notably, the flood situation in Assam has been deteriorating over the past few days. Moreover, a heavy rain alert has been issued for many districts in Kerala due to cyclonic circulation. Meanwhile, the states of Rajasthan, Delhi, and Maharashtra are reeling under an intense heatwave.
Nagaon worst-hit district: ASDMA
The ASDMA said Nagaon is the worst-hit district in the state where around 2.88 lakh people are affected due to floods. In Cachar, nearly 1.2 lakh people are reeling under the calamity, while in Hojai more than 1.07 lakh people are affected by the floods, it added. Reportedly, 3,07,849 domestic animals and poultry have been affected in the deluge across 13 districts in Assam.
Flood situation grim in Nagaon's Kampur
The flood situation is very grim in Nagaon's Kampur where thousands of people are affected. The ASDMA said the Kopili river is flowing above the danger marks at Kampur. "Situation is terrible...Our constituency is low-land...All the harvest has gone and people don't have a place to live...Water levels rose so much that we can't go there," said Kampur's local MLA Sashi Kanta Das.
Army, paramilitary, NDRF lead evacuation
Meanwhile, the army, paramilitary, National Disaster Relief Force, State Disaster Relief Force, civil administration, trained volunteers, and fire and emergency services have been carrying out evacuation operations in various flood-hit parts of Assam. So far, 8,066 persons have been rescued by deploying boats and helicopters.
Floods, landslides taking toll on state infrastructure
Floods and landslides have also taken a heavy toll on Assam's connectivity, cutting off the essential train and road connections in several parts of the state and region. Embankments, roads, bridges, and other infrastructure have been damaged by the floodwaters in Biswanath, Barpeta, Goalpara, Nagaon, Nalbari, Tamulpur, Bajali, Cachar, Darrang, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Morigaon, Sonitpur, Udalguri, Dibrugarh and Kamrup, the ASDMA said.
Fresh landslides reported in Hailakandi, Dima Hasao
Fresh landslides were reported from the Hailakandi and Dima Hasao districts of Assam. Notably, incessant rain and landslides caused heavy damage to railway tracks at multiple locations, leading to the suspension of all trains through Lumding-Badarpur Hill Section to Barak Valley, Tripura, Mizoram, and Manipur.
Rain alert issued in Kerala
The India Meteorological Department on Thursday issued an orange alert for rain in Kerala's Kannur and Kasaragod districts. The alert has already been in place in Thrissur, Palakkad, and Malappuram since Wednesday. The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority Wednesday predicted widespread rain in the state for the next five days with chances of isolated thunder, lightning, and strong winds due to the cyclonic circulation.
Heatwave conditions in Maharashtra, Rajasthan
An IMD official said the maximum temperature across the Rajasthan is likely to rise by two to three notches over the next two days. Heatwave conditions would prevail for the next three days in Jodhpur and Bikaner divisions where the maximum temperatures are likely to remain above 45 °C. Similarly, heatwave and pre-monsoon showers were predicted for different parts of Maharashtra from Wednesday.
