The death toll in this year's Assam floods rose to 78 on Wednesday after three more people died in Sivasagar and Golaghat districts, even as over 3 lakh people continued to remain affected across seven districts, according to the latest government bulletin.
The latest fatalities included two deaths in Sivasagar and one in Golaghat, taking the cumulative flood-related death toll this year to 78, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said.
According to the bulletin, 3,00,031 people across seven flood-hit districts -- Sivasagar, Charaideo, Golaghat, Jorhat, Nagaon, Biswanath and Kamrup Metropolitan -- remain affected by the deluge. Floodwaters continue to impact 21 revenue circles and 551 villages, while 21,523.08 hectares of crop area remain submerged.
Among the affected districts, Charaideo is the worst-hit with 1,37,561 people affected, followed by Sivasagar (84,600) and Jorhat (49,911). On Tuesday, the number of affected people stood at 3.32 lakh in six districts, indicating a slight improvement in the overall flood situation even as another district remained under flood impact.
The disaster management authority said more than 16,500 displaced people are taking shelter in 71 relief camps, while another over 72,000 people are being assisted through 30 relief distribution centres. Medical and veterinary teams, along with multiple rescue agencies, continue relief and rescue operations in the affected areas.
The floods have also caused widespread damage to infrastructure, including embankments, roads, houses, schools and other public property. The ASDMA said more than 11,000 animals have been washed away, while another 17,000 livestock have been affected.
Apart from riverine flooding, Kamrup Metropolitan district continued to witness urban flooding.
According to the official bulletin, three revenue circles and 10 localities/wards remain affected. The impacted areas include Padumbari, Boragaon, Excelcare Hospital, Lachit Nagar, Zoo Road, Rukminigaon, Anil Nagar, Nabin Nagar, Satgaon, Beharbari, Hatigaon, Wireless, Jorabat and Kamarkuchi near Zubeen Khetra. The bulletin, however, said no population was officially reported as affected by the urban flooding.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday spoke to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to review the flood situation and ongoing relief efforts. It was the second such conversation in seven days, after Shah had earlier reviewed the situation on July 23.
Sharing details of the conversation, Sarma said the Home Minister enquired about the ground situation and assured that the Government of India would continue to provide all assistance required for relief, restoration and rebuilding, adding that all agencies and resources of the Centre remain at Assam's disposal.
Addressing reporters after flagging off relief materials collected by BJP workers, Sarma said that while there has been no heavy rain after July 21 and floodwaters have receded, the devastation remains severe.
"The flood situation has improved, but the damage has been so huge. Many people cannot return to their homes as their houses have either been damaged or filled with mud and silt. Roads in some places remain blocked due to mud brought down from the hills of Nagaland," he said.
The Chief Minister said the priority now was to address the hardship faced by affected families. He also ruled out the need for international assistance, saying both the Centre and the state government were capable of handling the crisis. Sarma added that donations were pouring in from across the country and detailed information would be released later.
He also announced that, following directions from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, he would chair a meeting with representatives of all banks operating in Assam on Thursday to discuss special support measures for loans taken by flood-affected citizens.
Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth also reviewed ongoing flood relief operations during a two-day visit to the Eastern Theatre on July 28-29.
The Army said the Chief reviewed the prevailing security situation, operational preparedness and efforts aimed at promoting peace, stability and development across the Northeast. He was briefed on flood relief operations while reviewing the preparedness of formations, including the Dao Division and Spearhead Division, and commended troops for supporting the civil administration during the crisis.
During the visit, Gen Seth also reviewed the security situation in Manipur with senior Assam Rifles formations, interacted with troops deployed in the region and attended the opening ceremony of the 135th Indian Oil Durand Cup in Imphal.
Even as floodwaters recede, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy to very heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms from July 30 to August 1 at isolated places across Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.
The weather office has issued an orange alert for Tinsukia district. Similar alerts have also been issued for Mon, Mokokchung and Wokha districts of Nagaland, with possible impact on the neighbouring Assam districts of Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat and Golaghat.
The IMD warned that the rain could aggravate waterlogging, flooding, flash floods, slow vehicular movement and increase the risk of localised landslides in vulnerable areas.
The Disaster Management Authority said district administrations and emergency response systems remain on alert and urged residents in the affected districts to remain vigilant and follow official advisories.
Source: India Today