Sunday’s 98.4 mm Of Rainfall Breaks Record In Guwahati

The rainfall starting very early in the morning on Sunday, September 1, in Guwahati broke the record for the annual highest daily rainfall, with the India Metereological Department (IMD) recording 98.4 mm of rainfall.

The 98.4 mm rainfall recorded by the Regional Metereological Centre of IMD on Sunday exceeded the rainfall on August 5, which was recorded at 78.4 mm.

The heavy shower on Sunday morning caused areas previously not prone to flooding to be inundated by the rainwater, not to talk about areas that are flooded after a sharp shower.

As Guwahati gears up to become a Smart City, the Geetanagar Police Station is struggling to stay afloat - literally.

The police station road have been inundated with knee-deep water due to rain-induced waterlogging, exposing the city's glaring infrastructure woes.

Personnel at the police station revealed that artificial flooding has been a persistent problem for years, with no solution in sight.

Important files and equipment are being shifted to higher grounds to prevent damage as the water level threatens to engulf desks, chairs, and other furniture.

Heavy downpour on Sunday morning triggered flash floods across the city of Guwahati. The floodwaters wreaked havoc as several areas undergoing construction were submerged due to it.

Localities such as Ganeshguri, Six Mile, Rajgarh, Chandmari, Zoo Road, Hatigaon, and Beltola are among the areas bearing the brunt of waterlogging.

Residents are now forced to avoid the waterlogged roads and instead use the hilly routes to reach their destinations.

Assam is still struggling to completely recover from the rain-induced flood situation that left behind a trail of destruction.

The recent wave of floods wreaked havoc and has claimed 107 lives, including one from the Sivasagar district on August 19.

82 villages scattered across Sivasagar, Dhemaji, Golaghat and Charaideo districts of Assam have faced a devastating situation.

17 relief camps with 1,914 inmates are still operational in the affected districts. Sivasagar alone has 11 relief camps.

The flood situation worsened in Assam on Saturday as 61,679 people across four districts in the state were affected in the last 24 hours.

Worst-hit is Sivasagar with 47,768 people battling the floodwaters, followed by 12,259 persons in Charaideo, 1,513 in Dibrugarh, and the rest in Dhemaji district, ASDMA said.

The deluge also damaged 6,122.5 hectares of crops in as many as five major districts.

Heavy downpour lashed several parts of Guwahati yesterday, causing massive floods which wreaked havoc in the city.

Chaos ensued as long traffic jams were witnessed in several parts of Guwahati, trapping people for hours.

The floodwaters have submerged several areas in the city.

The city’s infrastructure has failed to cope with the recent rainfall, which has been persistent over the past few days. The streets, still saturated from previous downpours, have not had a chance to dry up, and today’s shower has pushed the water logging problem to catastrophic levels.

The Guwahati Traffic Police has issued an advisory to the general public to refrain from travelling through certain roads prone to waterlogging when there is heavy downpour.

People are advised to avoid roads like Rukminigaon, PIBCO point on GS Road; Juripar, Panjabari; Survey-Beltola Road; Zoo Road; Hatigaon Road; SFS School in Satgaon; GNB Road; Boripara; Boragaon on NH; Chandmari and Commerce College Point.

Additionally, police have issued a traffic alert for Hatigaon Road near Little Flower School due to waterlogging in the area. Citizens are advised to avoid using the road for the time being to prevent congestion and ensure safety.

Heavy downpour have caused devastating floods in Guwahati and have reduced daily activities to a standstill. The floodwaters have submerged several areas in the city.

The residents have had to bear the brunt of its aftermath. People were stuck in long traffic jams for many hours. The power supply was also disrupted for some time.

As many as 880 lives had been lost due to the devastating floods in Assam from 2019 up to July 25, 2023, as per the data released by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

This information was provided by Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai in response to a query from TMC MP Sushmita Dev in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

The MoS gave the year-on-year death toll figures which were as follows: 157 in 2019, 190 in 2020, 73 in 2021, 278 in 2022, 65 in 2023, and 117 up to July 25 of this year.

Improvement in Assam Flood

The Assam flood situation has improved as of late.
The Brahmaputra River's water level is gradually dropping. If the weather is continually sunny, the river's water level should be below the danger limit.

Assam's current flooding causes are as follows:

Erosion of the Brahmaputra Bank
Invasion of Wetlands and River Banks
Assam's drainage
Uncontrolled urban expansion in Assam

Flood situation in Lok Sabha

Phani Bhusan Choudhary, MP of Assam Gana Parishad from Barpeta Constituency, was vocal in the Lok Sabha for the residents of Assam in the cause of flood relief. The severe consequences of floods causing havoc and dislocating people must come to an end. The seriousness of his concern for flood impacts during the Union Budget Session in the Lok Sabha urged for a permanent solution.

He quoted the abstract from the Union budget 2024 that floods in Assam are from tributaries outside India. He shared the geography of Assam in square kilometers, which is 78,438 sq. km. and 31,500 sq. km. are affected by flooding. Thus, he concluded that 39% of the land in Assam is flood-affected.

There were also suggestions for strengthening the embankment, increasing the depth of the Brahmaputra, and many more.

Flood Management Disaster

Funds to Manage Flood Disaster in Assam says Finance Minister Ms Nirmala Sitharaman

Assam to receive funds under the initiative of 'Flood Management Projects' announces Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman allocation for Flood Relief to the states of Assam, Bihar, Sikkim, Himachal and Sikkim

11,500 crores are announced for Bihar alone. Additionally it will also receive the state disaster funds annually

The Affected District

The total flood hit people are 207,000 in 10 districts. Death toll rises to 113 caused by flood ,landslide, lightening and storm. 21000 citizens are served in the Relief Distribution Centre numbering to 18. 46 camps are taking shelter for 9,000.

Assam Visited by High Ranking officers

Gyandendra Dev Tripathi, the chief executive officer of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority, has asked the central team to declare 'calamities' in the state that has been devastated by flooding. The two flood waves had disastrous effects, ending life as we know it and causing numerous fatalities and injuries as well as community displacement. In light of this, the Rs 500 crore that was released under the catastrophe proclamation is only temporary.
The central delegation, led by Joint Secretary Mihir Kumar of the Ministry of Home Affairs, visits several districts impacted by flooding and holds talks with high-ranking state officials.

Initiatives of National and State on Flood situations

Both structural damage and nonstructural damage measures are prioritized by the National Flood Management Program. Dams, embankments, and nonstructural damage are examples of structural damage. Damage like flood zones and others

Rashtriya Bar Ayog is a symbol of national planning and scientific planning for flood control.
Strategic reservoir operation is emphasized in the National Water Policy.
The National Hydrology Project represents hydro-meteorological data in real time from towns and states.
The Border Area and Flood Management Program aids in the sediment treatment of full rivers.
The flood-prone areas are defined by the floodplain.
Finally, but just as importantly, floodproofing eliminates vulnerable communities and removes essential infrastructure.

Implications of Flood

Loss of Wildlife has resulted in the deaths of 130 animals in the past years. 6 one-horned Rhino is also killed at the same time in Kaziranga National Park.

Damage to infrastructure is another result of flooding roads transport infrastructures and many others.

Displacement of people is one of the serious effects that results from such havoc. People lose their life lives and existence after the calamity brings death to the day-to-day activities.

It can be said that major floods are both by natural intervention and human interference. They are immensely affected by are as follows

Larger number of Rivers

Assam has more than 120 rivers. The Brahmaputra River, flowing through Assam, accumulates significant sediment as it reaches the lower elevation of Assam, slowing down and depositing sediment and debris. 

The Monsoon

The State Disaster Management Authority says that Assam has an annual rainfall of 2900mm as a result of intense Monsoon.

Climate Change

The Tibetan Plateau has a melting of Glaciers and snowfall due to Global Warming. As a result, increased water flow in Brahmaputra and flood

Human Intervention

Construction of embankments outlived their utility and are in bad condition. The population boom is one of the factors.

Floods in Assam

Flood is a major issue in the entire north-east and Assam. During the post-independence period, Assam faced major floods in 1954, 1962, 1972, 1977, 1984, 1988, 1998, 2002, 2004, and 2012.

The incessant rains lashed lands during such flood havoc. There is an alarming situation when the water level hits the 27 districts of Assam .  A major report says that when the Brahmaputra breaches the embankment in five places that affected 1,744 villages. The nine districts and 70000 croplands are affected.

The worst hit flood in Assam since 1950 has claimed to be the worst hit districts namely Dhemaji , Lakhimpur , Dibrugarh, Jorhat , Nalbari, Barpeta and Dhubri.

The record of a local statement says that  all cultivation are lost as well as houses, food grain, household goods and essential. It also included the school , and their books too.

Greenery in Assam

The major part of the vegetation in the parks and Sanctuaries of Assam includes the grassland and Savannah as the grass-dominated biomes and forms the major part of the vegetation in Kaziranga National Park, Pabitra ,Orang, Soai-Rupai, Laokhowa, Barnadi, Burachapori, Dibru-Saikhowa wildlife sanctuaries and some part of Manas National Park. There must be an involvement of the forest dwellers and the Assam villagers in the conservation efforts.  Balancing the flora and fauna comprises of number of species including mammals, primates, and migratory birds, and balancing the ecosystem. 

The endemic plant and animal species are great with the one-horned  Rhinoceros. The hoolock, gibbon river dolphins pygmy hog hispid hare elephant tiger swamp deer water buffalo are some of the wild species found in Assam.

The northeastern is known as the biggest biological spot The monsoon and environmental impact surround the Brahmaputra river system. 80% of rain causes havoc in May and June There is an important role of the SouthWest monsoon on the environmental conditions. The tributaries are flooded in the monsoon leading to challenges and devastations. To mention tributaries Manas, Raidak, Sankosh, Kameng,(Jia Bhorali River)Dhansiri,Dihing ,Lohit , Tisa (Teesta River) Subansiri , Bhogdoi

Climate of Assam

Assam has a typically tropical monsoon climate. There is a moderate temperature and mild summers and winters throughout the year. The plains have a tropical climate with high humidity. While the weather in the hills remains sub-alpine. The temperature goes above 32 degree and the winter goes 8 degrees C.

The annual rainfall is the highest in India. The amount of precipitation of the average annual rainfall reaches about 70 inches in the west and 120 inches in the east.  There is severe rainfall in the annual monsoon season