The flood situation in Assam has worsened as one person lost his life on Saturday and nearly 2.75 lakh people have been affected across seven districts of the northeastern state.
Yesterday’s report by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said that a body was recovered from Subansiri river on July 1, due to drowning in flood water on June 19. At least 9 people have died in the last month, with several others missing.
The around 2.75 lakh people affected were from Lakhimpur, Jorhat, Golaghat, Cachar, Dhemaji, Karimganj and Biswanath, with Karimganj the worst affected – 1,58,883 people – followed by Lakhimpur (81,338 people).
As per the report, 498 villages are under water at present and a total of almost 8,000 hectares of crop area has been affected by the floods.
The state is running 114 relief camps in three districts – Cachar (1), Biswanath (1) and Karimganj (112). A total of 14,613 people are taking shelter in these camps.
In Lakhimpur and Dhemaji, nearly 27,000 animals (big, small and poultry) have been affected by the floods, even though none have been washed away.
Rescue operations are ongoing in three districts – Biswanath, Lakhimpur and Karimganj – by State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Fire & Emergency Services (F&ES), Assam and the local people. The administration is also distributing Rice, Dal and Salt as relief.
The report adds that the road at Major Chapori Gaon has been damaged and submerged. In Karimganj, 31 roads have been affected. Several embankments in the 7 districts are also under water.
This time last year, 1.8 million people were affected by the floods caused by heavy rains in Assam. The Kaziranga National Park was 80% under water and a total of 300 wild animals, including animals in Kaziranga and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, were reported to have been drowned. As of August 2016, 28 people were killed in the Assam floods which had started on July 17. In 2015 too, Assam floods had claimed the lives of 42 people and affected 1.65 million others.
Every year the state witnesses natural disasters like flood and erosion due to the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers which have more than 50 tributaries feeding them. As per government records, 39.58% of Assam is prone to flooding, in contrast to the 10.2% flood-prone areas of the entire country.
The Logical Indian community hopes safety of the people of Assam. Relief operations are the top priority of the government and the state has been offering support. At least 10 people have already died in the floods and we hope that the situation soon comes under control.
