Assam: Natural Disasters claim 70 lives, lightning tops the list this year

 STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Various disasters like lightning, landslides, floods, storms, etc., have claimed as many as 70 lives in the state during the pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons until last week this year. Though floods took their toll less than in previous years, lighting strikes were more fatal this year than before. Even the Central Government, on one occasion, mentioned the increased lightning strikes in Assam this year.

According to official statistics, lighting strikes claimed 37 lives in the state this year. Floods claimed 18, storms claimed 14, and landslides claimed one life in the state this year.

Significantly, lighting claimed its first toll in the state in March this year, and the toll continued till September. On March 15, lighting claimed four lives in the state: two in the Bongaigaon district and one each in Darrang and Kamrup (M) districts as the first toll in the state this year. The deceased were Jintu Kumar Ray (19) and Deepjyoti Ray (18) of Srijangram Revenue Circle in the Bongaigaon district, Majuruddin (61) of Mangaldai Revenue Circle in the Darrang district, and Mamata Begum (11) of Dispur Revenue Circle in the Kamrup (M) district. Lighting claimed its last toll on September 26 in the Tamulpur Revenue Circle in the Tamulpur district. The deceased was Jalla Tudu. The district-wise breakup is: Bongaigaon 3, Darrang 2, Kamrup (M) 1, Karimganj 2, Goalpara 3, Hojai 1, Majuli 1, Cachar 2, Nagaon 2, Dhubri 3, Chirang 3, Sivasagar 3, Hailakandi 1, Biswanath 2, Dima Hasao 1, Sonitpur 2, Kamrup 1, Morigaon 1, South Salmara 1, Kokrajhar 1, and Tamulpur 1.

A report from the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Climate Change has revealed that lightning has struck Assam as many as 2,10,542 times from February to July this year. The report further said that lightning claimed 28 lives in Assam in 2019, 14 in 2020, and 16 in 2021.

The flood took its first toll this year in the Goreswar Revenue Circle in the Tamulpur district on June 22. The deceased was Magwn Boro (60). The district-wise break-up of tolls by floods this year is: Tamulpur 1, Nalbari 2, Barpreta 3, Goalpara 1, Sivasagar 4, Baksa 1, Golaghat 1, Dhubri 1, Sonitpur 2, Golaghat 1, and Darrang 1.

Storms claimed 14 lives, and the first toll was in the Dibrugarh East Revenue Circle in the Dibrugarh district on April 19 this year. The district-wise break-up of tolls by storms this year is: Dibrugarh 2, Chirang 1, Dhemaji 3, Karimganj 1, Tinsukia 2, Karbi Anglong 1, Nagaon 1, Lakhimpur 1, Goalpara 1, and Sivasagar 1.

The lone landslide toll was at Dhirenpara in Guwahati Revenue Circle in the Kamrup (M) district on June 17, 2023. The deceased was Muktar Ali (35).

Every year, these four disasters claim lives in Assam. Lightning strikes claimed 28 lives in 2019, 14 lives in 2020, and 16 lives in 2021 in Assam.

Also Read:     2,10,542 lightning strikes struck Assam this year

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