At least one lakh people have been affected in the first spell of monsoon floods that have hit Assam and worsened in the last few days. The situation is grim as the Brahmaputra River is flowing over the danger threshold. According to a bulletin by Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), the districts of Biswanath, Chirang, Darrang, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Lakhimpur, Majuli, Morigaon, Nagaon, Sivasagar, Sonitpur, and Tamulpur are reeling under flood waters and about 98,840 people have been affected.
Reportedly, 3,618.35 hectares of agricultural land have been devastated, and 371 villages remain inundated. The administration has been operating 17 relief camps in two districts, where 2,941 people have taken shelter, and it is running 49 relief distribution centres in six districts, according to a PTI report.
The floods have affected about 59,531 domestic animals. Seven people have been killed in landslides so far. “As of now, the water level in all four rivers of Lower Assam remains below the danger level, despite the release of excess water from the Kurichu Dam. We are closely monitoring the situation,” Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday night in New Delhi and apprised him of the flood situation, along with relief and rehabilitation measures taken by the state government. He also thanked Shah for releasing Rs 340 crore to the state for the situation, according to a PTI report.
Alerts were issued on Friday morning in the western districts bordering Bhutan after excess water was released from the Himalayan kingdom.
