Flood situation critical in Assam

Nearly 5 lakh people affected in 22 districts; many embankments breached; more rainfall predicted

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Incessant rains in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Bhutan have wreaked havoc in Assam, where as many as 22 districts have come under the drip of floods. The surging waters have breached many embankments in lower and northern Assam since last night. The first death from this wave of floods has been registered in the Goreswar Revenue Circle.

According to information received, the Pahumara river has breached embankments at two spots in the Pathsala area in the Bajali district, leading to the submergence of several areas in the Patacharkuchi LAC (Legislative Assembly Constituency). So much so that the patients of Swahid Madan Rowta Civil Hospital near Pathsala have to be evacuated as the hospital has come under water. The hospital authorities have shifted the indoor patients to Dharamshala nearby. Some of the recovering patients, including neonatal patients, have been released.

The prominent educational institutes in the Pathsala area, including Bhattadev University and Bajali Higher Secondary School, have been inundated. The local people say that the sudden flow of waters from Bhutan caused breaches of embankments at two spots in the area by the Pahumara.

Meanwhile, in the Gohpur LAC of the Biswanath District, the river Chatrang has breached an embankment at Chatrangpar. The river's water has washed away a 35-metre stretch of the embankment. Several areas of Gohpur town and nearby areas have come under water, including the Hospital Road.

The Pagladiya River has also wreaked havoc in the Nalbari district, breaching an embankment at Nalbari Sonkuriha. Many villages in the districts have been submerged. The Samata-Kaithalkuchi PWD has also come under water.

According to the ASDMA (Assam State Disaster Management Authority), as of now, 1,366 villages in 58 revenue circles in 22 districts in the state have been affected by floods. The affected districts are Bajali, Baksa, Barpeta, Biswanath, Bongaigaon, Chirang, Darrang, Dhemaji, Dhubri, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Hojai, Kamrup, Kokrajhar, Lakhimpur, Majuli, Nagaon, Nalbari, Sonitpur,Tamulpur, Jorhat, and Kamrup Metro. The last two districts have been facing the wrath of urban floods.

The number of affected people has risen fast in the past 24 hours, with new areas coming under the grip of floods. According to reports, 4,95,799 people—2,26,323 males, 2,05,802 females, and 63,674 children—are under the grip of floods in the state. The number of relief camps has also gone up to 83, giving shelter to 14,035 inmates with the rise in the number of flood-affected people. The highest number of 31 relief camps has been set up in the Bajali district, followed by 23 in the Nalbari district. The administration has also set up 79 relief distribution centres in the state.

A vast area of 14,091 hectares of crop area has been inundated by flood waters, besides affecting livestock and other household property.

Both NDRF and SDRF personnel are involved in the rescue operation with 19 boats. They have evacuated 561 people and 43 animals to safer areas.

Reports of damage to PWD roads, bridges, anganwadi centres, irrigation schemes, APDCL property, agriculture bunds, etc., have been pouring in from various districts. There are reports of erosion in eleven districts and landslides in two districts, Bongaigaon and Dima Hasao.

According to the CWC (Central Water Commission), several rivers have been flowing above the danger levels in various areas of the state: the Brahmaputra at Nematighat and Dhubri, the Puthimari at NH Road Crossing in the Kamrup district, the Pagladiya river at NT Road Crossing in the Nalbari district, and the Manas river at NH Road Crossing in the Barpeta district.

Meanwhile, the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Guwahati has predicted the continuation of heavy rainfall over the north-eastern region, including Assam, during the next two days.

In a special weather bulletin issued by the RMC, Guwahati said, "A trough runs from south Punjab to west Bihar across south Haryana, and cyclonic circulation associated with the Low Pressure Area over central parts of Uttar Pradesh extends up to 0.9 km above mean sea level. A cyclonic circulation lies over East Assam and its neighbourhood at 0.9 km above mean sea level. Moisture incursion is very likely to continue due to strong low-level southerly or southwesterly winds from the Bay of Bengal to Northeast India during the next two days. Under its influence, widespread rainfall with heavy to very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall or thunderstorms with lightning is very likely to continue over the northeast region during the next two days. The situation is likely to decrease gradually thereafter."

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