26 districts in Assam reel under floods

'Restoration of communication and supply chain to Dima Hasao and Barak Valley top priority'

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The flood situation in Assam deteriorated further following incessant rains in the past 24 hours when one person died in the Udalguri district. One person is missing in the Nagaon district. The rain-and-landslide-lashed Dima Hasao district continues to remain snapped by road and rail.

The army and Assam Rifles have started rescue operations in the Cachar district.

A breach on the NH-15 at Gohpur in front of Chaiduar College in the North Bank affected the communication between Guwahati and Lakhimpur.

Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Jogen Mohan could not reach Dima Hasao headquarters in Haflong due to communication bottlenecks. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma sent him to the hill district to take stock of the situation in the district. The Minister is monitoring the restoration work of the 1.3-km blocked tunnel on the national highways and other works the restoration work from a spot near Maibong. Rail tracks have remained hanging at various locations in the Dima Hasao district due to the erosion of the soil beneath them. And cracks appeared on the national highway in many places.

The Chatrang River is wreaking havoc in Gohpur. Floodwater breached the embankment along the Saktola River near Mangaldai in the Darrang district last night. The situation has been critical in the Hojai district since last night. Following instruction from Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Health Minister Keshab Mahanta left for Hojai. The rivers that flowed above the danger level till this morning were the Kopili River at Kampur and Nagaon, the Barak at Annapurna ghat in Cachar and the Kushiyara in Karimganj.

Chief Secretary Jishnu Baruah chaired a top-level meeting at Dispur this evening to plan restoration works in the state, including restoration of the food supply chain. Top officials of the ASDMA (Assam State Disaster Management Authority), NHAI (National Highway Authority of India), SDRF (State Disaster Response Force), NDRF (National Disaster Response Force), the Army and other top officials were present at the meeting.

Talking to The Sentinel, ASDMA CEO GD Tripathi said, "The meeting had thrust areas like reviewing the rain and landslide situation in Dima Hasao and the restoration of food supply chain to Dima Hasao and the Barak Valley. The rise in water level in the Hojai district and the overall flood situation in the state also came up for discussion. Opening the road to Dima Hasao is all-important to restore the supply chain. The NHAI assured us of opening the road for restoration of food supply to Dima Hasao within two days. However, the full-fledged opening of the road to the hill district will take time."

Tripathi further said, "The restoration of communication between Guwahati and Haflong is of top-most priority. So far, the IAF airlifted 119 stranded train passengers from Dima Hasao. The IAF will also airlift 140 more people stranded in the hill district. Food supply to the Barak Valley from Manipur is also under consideration."

The ASDMA will use drones/satellite data to ascertain the loss and damage data of Dima Hasao. The State Government asked the Cachar Deputy Commissioner to resolve the Guwahati-Silchar communication problems via Meghalaya, besides resolving the issue of airfare hike with the help of ATDC (Assam Tourism Development Corporation). The Chief Secretary had a video conference with all the DCs.

According to ASDMA sources, 67 revenue circles in 26 districts of the state are reeling under floods. A population of 4,03,352 in 1,089 villages in the state are under flood fury. As many as 39,558 people have taken shelter in 89 relief camps. Reports of erosion and breach of road bridges and embankments keep coming from various areas.

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