GUWAHATI, July 24: The flood situation in Assam continues to remain grim with 11 districts affected and six more deaths reported from Sivasagar and Charaideo districts, even as a central ministerial team is scheduled to arrive in the state on Saturday for a spot assessment of the flood damages.
Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) sources informed on Thursday night that four human casualties have been reported from Sivasagar district while two were reported from Charaideo districts in 24 hours.
Among the districts affected are Golaghat, Hojai, Kamrup, Charaideo, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Sivasagar, Nagaon, Kamrup (Metro), Karbi Anglong and Tinsukia.
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said that over 10.6 lakh people have been affected by the ongoing floods, currently raging through 11 districts.
“There has been heavy loss to life and property. The death toll has reached 50 and likely to increase in the coming days as seven are reported missing in Sivasagar and Charaideo district. The number of missing could be more according to reports,” Sarma said, even as he added that there has been an improvement of the situation in Golaghat and Jorhat districts.
Addressing mediapersons later in the day, the chief minister said that excessive rainfall (close to 500 percent more rain) in the three districts of Nagaland (Mon, Mokokchung and Wokha) between July 18 and July 20 triggered unprecedented floods in Charaideo and Sivasagar districts.
Sarma said that excessive rainfall has also aggravated the situation in the affected districts. “The floods this time have not been the conventional deluge of the past when rivers swell and the rising water eventually breach embankments,’ he said.
The chief minister further said about 20 percent of the affected population in each of the two districts has been inaccessible for relief distribution.
“But we will reach out to them soon. Our government is working 24×7 to provide relief to the affected people with constant supply of food, water, medicine and other essentials,” he said.
In regard to electricity disconnection, he said that since the water had flown over the transformers, power transmissions to about 40,000 houses had to be snapped as a safety measure.
Earlier, the chief minister chaired a video conference with deputy commissioners and senior officials stationed across the flood affected districts to review the government’s ongoing response to the situation.
Meanwhile, the ASDMA informed on Friday afternoon that the rivers Dikhow at Sivasagar in Sivasagar district; Desang at Nanglamoraghat in Sivasagar district and Dhansiri (S) at Numaligarh in Golaghat district continued to be in “severe flood situation”. In view of the continuous rise in the water levels of the rivers, residents have been advised to stay away from the river.
On the other hand, three urban districts – Kamrup Metro, Kamrup and Dibrugarh – have also been affected by the deluge with 14 wards in Kamrup Metro affected.
Heavy rain on Thursday afternoon paralysed several localities of Guwahati with flash flood and waterlogging reported from several localities.
Many localities have been inundated by knee-deep water which has remained stagnant overnight, owing to drainage issues, thereby compounding problems of residents.
Relief distribution
Assam food, public distribution and consumer affairs minister Kaushik Rai on Thursday chaired a video conference with officials of the districts of the major flood-affected districts of Upper Assam and North Assam to review the lifting and distribution of relief materials, availability of essential commodities, stock position and prevailing market prices.
The meeting comprehensively assessed the prevailing flood situation and reviewed measures to ensure uninterrupted availability of food grains and other essential commodities in the affected districts.
The minister directed all DCs and district officials to maintain close coordination among all concerned agencies and ensure timely distribution of relief materials to the affected population.
Emphasising the need for prompt response and continuous monitoring, Rai instructed the districts to remain vigilant so that no disruption occurs in the supply of essential commodities.
He also directed the district-level task forces to remain active round the clock and closely monitor market prices, taking immediate action wherever any unjustified price rise is noticed.
