Severe Flooding in Assam Claims Lives of Women and Children
Tragic Flood Deaths in Upper Assam
Women, children account for 9 of 21 flood deaths in Upper Assam (Photo: @mkdewraja/X)
Guwahati, July 22: In a devastating turn of events, nine out of the 21 flood-related fatalities reported in Assam over the last 24 hours involved women and children, as relentless rainfall and rising river levels continued to impact Upper Assam.
The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) released a flood bulletin at midnight on Tuesday, revealing that among the deceased were four children and five women. The Sivasagar district reported four deaths, while one occurred in Jorhat.
This recent surge in fatalities has raised the total death toll from floods this year to 31, with Sivasagar being the most affected district, accounting for 13 deaths.
The tragic loss of children follows the deaths of two teenage girls in a flood incident in Jorhat on July 20, with another boy reported missing in Karbi Anglong.
Fourteen-year-old Susmita Mardha and Chuniya Pahariya from Panbari village in Jorhat were swept away by the strong currents of the Doi Jaan stream.
In the aftermath, Titabor MLA Dhiraj Gowala visited the grieving families and urged parents to keep their children away from rivers and streams during the monsoon season.
The flooding has severely impacted healthcare access in several tea garden regions of Sivasagar, where submerged roads and damaged infrastructure have left many residents isolated.
Earlier this week, a pregnant tea garden worker had to give birth inside a factory due to the floodwaters preventing her from reaching a hospital.
The Tea Association of India (TAI) reported that another expectant mother, close to delivery, urgently needed medical assistance, underscoring the difficulties faced by pregnant women in flooded tea estates.
The flood situation in Assam remained dire on Wednesday, affecting approximately 565,000 individuals after three days of continuous rain and heavy river inflows from the Naga Hills.
According to ASDMA, 872 villages are currently inundated, and floodwaters have damaged over 24,210 hectares of agricultural land statewide.
The Brahmaputra River is flowing above the danger level at Neamatighat, with its tributaries, including the Buridihing at Khowang and the Dhansiri at Golaghat and Numaligarh, also exceeding safe levels, as reported by the disaster management authority.
Additionally, the Dikhou at Sivasagar and the Disang at Nanglamuraghat are above their highest flood levels, according to ASDMA.
Authorities have established 273 relief camps and distribution centers across ten districts, providing shelter to 12,284 displaced individuals.
Rescue operations involving the Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Fire and Emergency Services, police, and civil administration have successfully rescued over 6,000 people from Charaideo, Golaghat, Jorhat, and Sivasagar districts.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Assam, predicting thunderstorms and heavy rainfall in isolated areas over the next four days, raising concerns that the flood situation may deteriorate further.