Guwahati: Catastrophic flash floods befell on the residents of Guwahati city on Friday as a consequence of night-long downpour that killed eight persons due to landslides and electrocution in different parts of the city.
Three persons of a family, Tulsi Barman, Kanak Barman and Protima Barman were killed due to landslides that occurred at Bhangagarh area in the city while one person who was washed away in the Bharalu river, was missing, police sources said.
Two persons –Bhaskar Jyoti Das and Suren Bharali- died due to electrocution caused by flood in Downtown area in the city.
A government employee, Dinesh Das, was electrocuted on Thursday night in the water logged MLA Hostel in the Capital Complex in Dispur area, they said. Another person, Prafulla Das, Deputy Director of Arunachal Pradesh Cultural Affairs department was electrocuted to death at Nabin Nagar area in the city.
All the main thoroughfares and most of the localities were inundated due to the rain-triggered flash floods that caused havoc with life of the people in the main city in northeast India. One of the arterial roads in the city, the R G Baruah Road is under waist-deep water throwing the city transport system totally out of order.
A portion of the Guwahati-Shillong Road too have been flooded much to the chagrin of city residents who have accused the government officials and politicians of pocketing lion’s share of the huge sums of money that is allocated every year to mitigate the problem of flash flood in Guwahati city.
All the education institutions in the city were rendered non-functional while government offices including the ground floor offices in the Sate secretariat complex were under flood water.
The official bungalows of ministers and MLAs in Dispur capital complex were also deluged while certain areas in the heart of the city including Nabin Nagar, Rajgarh, Anil Nagar, Pub-Sarania, Downtown etc. were under waist deep water causing immense trouble for the residents.
The government called in the National Disaster Response Force which deployed 20 boats to rescue the marooned people to safer areas, NDRF sources said. Pumps were also installed to drain out the water from the affected areas, the sources said.
Complaining that there was delay in providing boats by the government, people in many affected areas made improvised rafts with banana tree trunks to transport students for their examinations.
Despite the district administration’s claim that bottled drinking water was supplied in the affected areas, people complained that they were yet to receive them. The Regional Meteorological Centre forecast heavy to very heavy rain in Assam and neighbouring Meghalaya during the next 48 hours.
The district administration has set up a helpline 0361-2733053 and toll free number 1077 for water-logging, landslide or any other natural calamity.
Meanwhile, the district administration has extended ex-gratia of Rs 10,000 each to the next of kin of the victims’ families and has arranged for the last rites of the deceased.
Deputy Commissioner (In-charge), Kamrup (Metro), Rajib Prakash Baruah said the administration would provide free medical treatment to those who sustained minor and grievous injuries.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has ordered the chief secretary, additional chief secretary, principal secretary and the home commissioner to inspect rescue operation in deluged areas in the city.
He also directed the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) to take all possible measures to provide relief to the city residents who have been devastated by the catastrophic flash floods.
Chief minister Tarun Gogoi came out of the official residence atop Koinadhara hillock at the outskirt of the city to take a round of the flooded city while city residents in many parts of the city took to the street in register protest against the government’s failure to mitigate the problem of flash flood and landslides in the city. (With inputs from Agencies)
