Assam rivers flooded, death toll up to 82

Assam’s flooding situation worsens as major rivers spate, affecting lakhs of people and claiming 11 more lives, raising the death toll

o   Assam reels under devastating floods over the last week, impacting 47,72,140 people in 32 of the 36 districts and claiming 11 more lives, taking the death toll up to 82

o   Union Home Minister Amit Shah reaches out to the Chief Minister of Assam to enquire about the situation.

Assam Tackling Rivers Floods in Most Districts 

Assam‘s flood situation worsens as all major rivers lie in spate, affecting 47 lakh people and claiming 11 more lives prompting Union Home Minister Amit Shah to get in touch with Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma to look into the state of affairs. 

The state has been dealing with devastating floods since the last week, affecting 47,72,140 people in 32 out of the 36 districts. A notice issued by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) claims that the fresh fatalities have pushed the death count in this year’s floods and landslides in Assam to 82. 

The three new deaths were recorded in Darrang and two in Nagaon, reported to be police personnel who drowned while trying to rescue stranded people. In addition to that, there were one each reported in Cachar, Dibrugarh, Hailakandi, Hojai, Kamrup and Lakhimpur. Seven people were also reported to be missing, with two each reported in Udalguri and Kamrup and one each in Cachar, Darrang and Lakhimpur.

Centre Supports Assam

Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted on Monday regarding his conversation with the Home Minister, saying that he had been contacted twice since morning in regards to the flood situation in Assam. He informed that a team of officials will soon be sent by the Ministry of Home Affairs to evaluate the damages caused by the natural calamity. Mr Sarma expressed his gratitude to the Home Minister in his tweet.

It has been reported from the Chief Minister’s Office that Amit Shah had first called to enquire about the flood situation and then later on to inform the Chief Minister that a central team of officials will soon be sent to the state for damage assessment. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also called up the Assam Chief Minister on Saturday to check up on the flood situation and assured him of all help possible from the Centre.

Leader of Opposition in the Assam Assembly, Debabrata Saikia implored the Prime Minister to provide a central package of at least ₹ 20,000 crore for relief and rehabilitation work in areas that suffered damage due to flood over the last three to four years. He also pushed the Centre to declare the problem of flooding and erosion in Assam as a national calamity.

Meanwhile, Mr Sarma held a virtual meeting with other state ministers, senior officials and deputy commissioners in the districts to review the flood situation. He assured that the relief and rescue operations in Barak Valley will be strengthened by calling in additional National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams from the states of Manipur and Tripura. 

Mr Sarma said he was in touch with the Meghalaya Chief Minister for the restoration of the Jowai-Badarpur road that has been badly damaged due to floods and landslides. Meanwhile, North East Frontier Railways (NFR) has reported that trains carrying relief, including petroleum, diesel and medical aid will be sent to the affected areas. 

The devastating floods, caused by incessant rainfall, have reportedly affected 5,424 villages, from where 2,31,819 people have moved away to take shelter in 810 relief camps. Relief has also been distributed from 615 centres to people who aren’t situated in relief camps as of yet. Rivers Kopili, Brahmaputra, Rivers Puthimari, Pagladia, Beki Barak and Kushiara have been observed to be flowing above the danger level. 

Urban flooding has been reported in Barpeta, Cachar, Darrang, Goalpara, Kamrup, and Karimganj districts while landslides were observed in Kamrup and Karimganj districts on Monday. 

A total crop area of 1,13,485.37 hectares has been affected and an estimate of,232 animals have been washed away. A total of two embankments were breached, 349 roads and 16 bridges were damaged during the day itself.