Assam Flood Crisis: Over 41 Lives Lost as Rescue Operations Intensify

Critical Flood Situation in Assam

The flood crisis in Assam has escalated, with officials reporting 41 fatalities and over 650,000 individuals affected across 11 districts as of Thursday.

Relief and rescue efforts are being conducted by the Army, Air Force, and various agencies, utilizing drones to deliver essential supplies to those stranded in hard-to-reach areas.

Several significant rivers in the region are currently above their danger levels, according to officials.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is set to visit some of the most severely impacted regions in Golaghat district today. He previously oversaw rescue operations and engaged with affected residents in Jorhat and Sivasagar on Wednesday.

A flood bulletin from the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) revealed that 10 individuals lost their lives in just 24 hours since midnight Tuesday, raising the total death toll to 41 for this year's floods.

The affected population exceeds 653,100 across districts including Sivasagar, Charaideo, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Hojai, Jorhat, Kamrup, Kamrup Metropolitan, Karbi Anglong, and Nagaon.

Sivasagar is the hardest hit, with nearly 400,000 people impacted, followed by Charaideo with around 111,000 and Jorhat with over 97,000.

Currently, 487 relief camps and distribution centers are operational across 10 districts, providing shelter to 24,418 displaced individuals.

As of Tuesday, approximately 565,000 people had already been affected by the floods in 12 districts.

The India Meteorological Department has issued a warning for the next four days, predicting thunderstorms, lightning, and heavy rainfall in isolated areas.

The ASDMA bulletin indicated that the Desang and Dikhow rivers are flowing above the 'severe flood' level at two locations in Sivasagar, while the Dhansiri (S) has breached this level at Numaligarh in Golaghat.

Additionally, the Buridihing river in Khowang and Kushiyara in Sribhumi are also above the danger threshold.

All agencies are actively responding to this unprecedented flood situation, which has been exacerbated by a cloudburst in the nearby hills and excessive rainfall.

Relief operations are ongoing, distributing food, drinking water, medicines, and sanitary products, while rescue efforts continue in the affected regions, as stated by the Chief Minister's Office in a social media update on Thursday.