Assam flood situation improves with receding water levels, no fresh deaths

Assam’s flood situation improved with no fresh fatalities reported, the number of affected people decreasing to 4.45 lakh and water levels receding in several districts, officials said on Tuesday. A central team visited Sivasagar, one of the worst-hit districts in the current wave of floods, and reviewed the situation in the eastern parts of the state, they said.

The toll is currently at 68 with no fresh deaths recorded and no person was reported missing, an official bulletin said. The officials said Sivasagar, Golaghat, Charaideo, Jorhat, Nagaon and Kamrup (Metropolitan) continued to be impacted by the floods, but the number of people hit by the deluge decreased to 4.45 lakh.  Charaideo remained the worst-hit district, where 1.88 lakh people remained affected, followed by Sivasagar (1.44 lakh) and Jorhat (74,458).

Till Sunday, the number of affected people was over 5.24 lakh across five districts. Altogether 90 relief camps remained operational, sheltering 28,695 displaced people. Additionally, 94 relief distribution centres were also functional, the bulletin said. The Dhansiri (S) river was flowing above the danger level at Numaligarh in Golaghat district. Multiple agencies, including the NDRF, SDRF and civil defence personnel, are carrying out the rescue and relief operations. A total crop area of 37,139.52 hectares was still submerged, while damage to houses, roads and other infrastructure was reported from various parts of the affected districts, the officials said.

Chief Minister thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his “personal attention” to the Assam flood, which has claimed 68 lives so far while over 4.45 lakh people continue to reel under the deluge.  He said the state Government has been able to reach all affected villages and was working on a war footing to provide relief to the flood-hit population.

PM Modi on Tuesday held a meeting with Union Ministers and BJP MPs belonging to Assam at the Parliament House complex to review the state’s flood situation and later said on X the Centre was working closely with the Assam Government in providing relief to the affected people. A five-member central team led by MHA Joint Secretary M Ramachandrudu visited Sivasagar on Monday to review Upper Assam’s flood situation with state ministers Keshab Mahanta and Bimal Borah, and local officials accompanying them.  Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, in a social media post, said power restoration work was going on in a phased manner.

“Since this morning, the number of families without power has declined by another 25 per cent. As floodwaters continue to recede, power supply is being restored across more affected areas. I will continue to share regular updates and keep you posted until power is restored to every affected household,” he said in the post late on Monday evening.

Sarma also said that with water receding, disinfection and fogging drives across villages have been started to prevent the outbreak of any disease. Water Resources Minister Susanta Borgohain said steps were being taken to bury livestock and animals killed in the deluge. “The recent floods in Assam have sadly claimed the lives of many livestock. To prevent water contamination and the spread of diseases, the deceased animals are being buried and disposed of scientifically,” he said.