Assam floods: The heavy rainfall in Assam has resulted in devastating floods, leading to significant loss of life and property. Over 24 lakh individuals have been impacted by the floods in the state. The flood-related death toll has exceeded 50, and numerous people have been displaced from their homes.
As per an official bulletin, the major rivers in the region continue to remain above the danger mark.
Some incidents related to the Assam floods
The water level of the Brahmaputra River has exceeded the danger mark in Nimatighat, Guwahati, Goalpara, and Dhubri. Additionally, its tributaries including Burhi Dihing, Dikhow, Disang, Dhansiri, Jia Bharali, and Kopili are also flowing above the danger mark. Similarly, the Barak River and its tributaries are experiencing high water levels.
According to PTI, two individuals, one of whom was a child, lost their lives in a landslide caused by continuous rainfall in the Dispur area of Kamrup Metropolitan district. This has brought the total number of fatalities due to floods, landslides, and storms this year to 64. Nevertheless, the report indicated that there have been no new fatalities due to flooding, leaving the total number of flood-related deaths at 52.
Agricultural lands have suffered significant damage, as floodwaters have submerged 63,490.97 hectares of crop area.
Additionally, urban flooding has been observed in three districts of Kamrup, resulting in a missing child in Kamrup and Dibrugarh.
The most heavily impacted district is Dhubri, where 7,75,721 people have been affected, followed by Darang (1,86,108), Cachar (1,75,231), Barpeta (1,39,399), and Morigaon (1,46,045).
According to PTI, the official bulletin stated that 47,103 people are taking shelter in 612 relief camps, and over 379 people and 483 animals have been rescued by boats operated by various agencies.
On Friday, the Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, traveled to Dibrugarh city to assess the flood situation. He reassured the public that the government has the flood situation under control and is exploring community-driven solutions to address the upcoming crisis.
Following his visit to Dibrugarh, Sarma and his team also went to Majuli to evaluate the flood situation in the district. State MLA Mrinal Saikia distributed food to the affected people from his mobile kitchen.
The regional meteorological department predicts heavy to very heavy and extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places in Assam on July 6. Furthermore, the department has issued an orange alert for very heavy rains until July 9.
Floodwater entered Kaziranga National Park
Kaziranga National Park has already lost 31 animals to the floodwaters. 2024 marks the sixth consecutive year of flooding in Assam, following the trend from 2018. Just after the arrival of cyclone Biparjoy in 2023, Assam experienced a similar situation. According to a report from Down to Earth magazine, Lakhimpur was the most severely flooded area, followed by Dibrugarh.
(With agency input)