Assam Floods: Death Toll Climbs to 34, Over 260,000 People Affected

Sentinel Digital Desk

Published:1st Jul, 2024 at 11:50 AM

GUWAHATI: The flood situation in Assam has become very serious, with 34 people now dead. Among the victims are two children who drowned in the Dhemaji district on Sunday, according to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA).

According to the ASDMA, over 262,000 people across 12 districts in the state have been affected by the second wave of flooding.

The affected districts are Kamrup, Karimganj, Tinsukia, Golaghat, Dhemaji, Majuli, Cachar, Lakhimpur, Dibrugarh, Sivasagar, Kokrajhar, and Jorhat.

In Dhemaji district, 69,252 people have been affected, followed by 61,895 people in Cachar, 45,281 people in Tinsukia, 34,966 people in Majuli, 22,882 people in Karimganj, 15,010 people in Dibrugarh, 7,973 people in Jorhat, and 4,919 people in Golaghat district.

Continuous rainfall has caused the water levels of the Brahmaputra, Dikhou, Jia-Bharali, Beki, and Kushiyara rivers to rise above dangerous levels.

According to ASDMA data, the Brahmaputra River is above the danger level in Dibrugarh and Neamatighat; Dikhou in Sivasagar; Jia-Bharali at Nt Road Crossing; Beki at Road Bridge in Barpeta, and the Kushiyara River in Karimganj.

The floodwaters have submerged 6,546.44 hectares of crop area and 671 villages across 36 revenue circles.

Around 23,000 people have taken shelter in 52 relief camps in the six worst-hit districts, and 149,009 animals have also been affected by the floods.

Meanwhile, continuous heavy rain in recent days has led to severe flooding in Dibrugarh City, particularly affecting areas like Akashvani Dibrugarh. Residents of Radio Colony are experiencing considerable difficulties due to the waterlogging.

The flood situation at the Akashvani Dibrugarh campus in Malakhubocha is worsening quickly. Water has entered the trenches, leading to a power outage. Efforts are ongoing to resume transmission from the transmitter situated at Lepetkata.

The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, visited Dibrugarh on Sunday to assess the worsening flood situation affecting the area, including Dibrugarh City.

Sonowal was briefed on the government’s efforts to reduce the impact of the floods on people's daily lives.