Assam floods kill 31, over 5.65 lakh affected; Rs 4 lakh relief announced
The floods in Assam have killed 31 people this year till date, with 21 deaths reported in just the last 24 hours as heavy rain worsened the crisis, officials said Wednesday.
Nearly 5.65 lakh people have been affected across 12 districts. Sivasagar had to face the worst hit, with 13 deaths and around 3.6 lakh people affected, followed by Jorhat and Charaideo, respectively.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited flood-hit areas in Upper Assam and announced Rs 4 lakh compensation for the family of each person who died due to the floods. "Our government is standing with them in every step of rehabilitation and rebuilding," Sarma said in Sivasagar.
He admitted that many flooded villages remain cut off, making it hard to deliver relief. "There is no road to reach people still in their homes. We cannot airdrop relief right now. We are trying our best," he said, adding that camps with access to relief material face no shortage.
Relief operations are underway across the state. According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) 273 relief camps are running across 10 districts and housing over 12,000 displaced people. More than 6,000 people have been rescued so far by the Army, NDRF, SDRF, and local agencies, and rice, dal, salt, and cooking oil have been distributed to victims to cook meals.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has also issued a yellow alert for Assam, warning of more thunderstorms and heavy rain over the next four days. The river Brahmaputra and several other rivers are flowing above the ‘danger mark’ in multiple districts.
The floods have also caused severe damage with over 872 villages remaining underwater and over 24,000 hectares of crops have been destroyed, nearly 1.85 lakh animals and poultry have also been affected. Infrastructure has also been damaged in many districts. CM Sarma said the government will additionally be helping the residents recover their lost documents in the floods.
