Rescue and relief operations have been intensified across Assam as the flood situation worsened following incessant rainfall, with more than 1.70 lakh people affected across 12 districts, officials said.
Flash floods have severely impacted Teok and Kakojan, where a stretch of National Highway 715 has been submerged, disrupting connectivity and affecting normal life.
Jorhat Fire Station In-charge Pronab Bora said rescue operations were underway across the district, with eight boats deployed for evacuation efforts.
“We are operating across the entire district. We have eight boats stationed in Jorhat. Yesterday, we deployed a team for rescue operations. We are doing our best to carry out rescues. It seems the weather is changing, and the water level here is receding slightly; we are hopeful that the flooding will subside somewhat by tomorrow,” Bora told ANI on Monday.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the state government had stepped up relief and rescue efforts and directed all Members of Parliament and MLAs from the affected districts to remain on the ground and closely monitor the situation.
“I have asked all MPs and MLAs of the flood-affected districts to be on the ground and closely monitor the situation. I am in constant touch with all the public representatives and have assured all possible assistance from the Government of Assam to deal with this situation. As rains continue and water levels are rising, we are reinforcing our efforts to shift people to safer places and provide them with all necessary support,” Sarma said in a post on X.
According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), one person drowned in floodwaters in the Amguri area of Sivasagar district during the last 24 hours, taking the state’s flood-related death toll this year to five.
The floods have affected more than 1.70 lakh people in Biswanath, Cachar, Charaideo, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Jorhat, Karbi Anglong, Lakhimpur, Sivasagar, Tinsukia and Udalguri districts. More than 10,362 hectares of cropland have also been inundated.
The water levels of the Brahmaputra and several of its tributaries continue to rise due to persistent rainfall in Assam and neighbouring Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. According to the Central Water Commission, the Desang River at Desangpani in Charaideo district was flowing above its previous highest flood level, while the Dikhow, Buridehing, Brahmaputra and Dhansiri (South) rivers were flowing above danger levels or witnessing severe flood conditions.
A total of 580 villages across 30 revenue circles have been affected in the latest wave of flooding. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams have been deployed in the worst-hit districts, including Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat and Golaghat, to carry out rescue and relief operations.
(With ANI inputs)
