Assam Faces Severe Flooding Crisis as Death Toll Reaches 89
Current Flood Situation in Assam
An aerial image of flood hit Assam (Photo: @himantabiswa/X)
Guwahati/Jorhat, Aug 5: The flood crisis in Assam has worsened, with heavy rainfall threatening to inundate more low-lying regions. The death toll has tragically increased to 89, affecting over 1.22 lakh individuals across five districts.
The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) confirmed two additional flood-related fatalities in the last 24 hours, one each from Sivasagar and Golaghat districts, bringing the total for this year's floods to 89.
Currently, Sivasagar is the most severely impacted district, with nearly 60,000 residents affected, followed by Charaideo with over 31,000 and Jorhat with close to 20,000 individuals facing the consequences of the floods.
ASDMA reported that the Dhansiri River at Numaligarh in Golaghat district remains in a "severe flood situation," prompting officials to advise residents to avoid the river as water levels continue to rise.
"Due to the ongoing increase in the water level of the Dhansiri at Numaligarh, residents are urged to keep their distance from the river," stated an ASDMA representative.
The administration is currently managing 55 relief camps and distribution centers across four districts, providing shelter to 17,857 displaced individuals. Medical and veterinary teams, along with various agencies, are actively engaged in relief and rescue efforts in the affected regions.
According to ASDMA, floodwaters have inundated 15,342.92 hectares of agricultural land, and 26,575 domestic animals and poultry have also been impacted.
The flooding has led to significant damage to embankments, roads, homes, schools, and other public infrastructure throughout the state.
In a related incident, heavy rainfall on Tuesday evening caused urban flooding in Jorhat town, affecting several residential areas and government buildings, despite the town not being directly impacted by the ongoing riverine floods.
Areas such as Tarun Phukan Road, Tarajan, Bongalpukhuri, Rajamaidam, New Colony, Choladhara, New Ville Road, Club Road, Kushal Nagar, and Atila Gaon experienced severe flooding following the rainfall.
Waterlogging has also disrupted operations at several government offices, including the District Commissioner's Office, Home Guards Office, Senior Superintendent of Police's Office, Bishnuram Baruah Market, Inspector of Schools Office, and the NCC Office, causing significant inconvenience to officials and the public.
Residents have expressed concerns that the recent flooding has highlighted Jorhat's ongoing drainage issues.
Despite the Jorhat Municipal Board initiating various projects to address urban flooding, local residents and organizations have raised allegations of irregularities and corruption in the execution of some of these initiatives.
This latest episode of waterlogging has reignited worries about the town's readiness to handle heavy rainfall, as large portions of Upper Assam continue to endure one of the most severe flood seasons in recent memory.