Death Toll Rises to 9 As Assam Floods Claim Another Life; Army, NDRF, Assam Rifles Mobilised To Provide Aid

The flood situation in Assam worsened on Wednesday, with one more person killed in the Darrang district. The death toll in the current pre-monsoon floods and landslides in Assam has risen to nine, officials said, with more than 6.62 lakh people affected in 27 of the state’s 34 districts.

According to the officials of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority, at least 6,62,385 people, including 1,25,491 children and 2,44,216 women, have been affected and nearly 8,260 houses have been either partially or completely damaged in 1,414 villages across 27 districts.

Over 46,160-hectare crop areas have been affected in the flood-hit districts while more than 48,304 people have taken shelter in 135 relief camps.

The worst-affected districts include Cachar, Dima Hasao, Hojai, Nagaon, Charaideo, Darrang, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Bajali, Baksa, Biswanath and Lakhimpur.

The situation in the hill section of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) in the Dima-Hasao district remained critical on Wednesday as the rain continued to batter the hilly region, affecting the Lumding-Badarpur single line railway route, which connects Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and the southern part of Assam with the rest of the country.

“Out of the 56 affected locations, in around 12 locations restoration work has been completed but the work in major affected areas is yet to start due to the inclement weather,” an NFR official told IANS from the NFR headquarters in Maligaon.

The officials said uninterrupted rains coupled with the difficult terrain severely affected the restoration and repair work, which might take several weeks. This rail link has been cut off for the past five days.

Several Assam Ministers, including Health Minister Keshab Mahanta, Water Resources Minister Pijush Hazarika and Environment and Forest Minister Parimal Suklabaidya, are supervising the rescue and relief operations camping in the flood-ravaged areas.

The Army, Assam Rifles, National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force along with the district administrations are working round the clock to rescue the stranded people to provide relief to them.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday discussed the overall flood situation in Assam with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over the phone and assured all possible help from the Central government.

According to Defence Spokesman Lt. Colonel Angom Bobin Singh, two columns of Army and Assam Rifles men from Masimpur Garrison hurried for flood rescue operations in various parts of the district after receiving an urgent request from Cachar’s Deputy Commissioner Keerthi Jalli.