Assam’s flood situation remained grim on Friday with incessant rainfall continuing for the fourth consecutive day in most parts of the state and the major rivers flowing above the danger level at several places, official sources said.
A person was reported missing in the Jia Bhoroli river in Sonitpur district when the boat in which four of them were travelling overturned. Three of them were rescued while search was on to trace the fourth person, identified as Saidul Islam.
Fresh landslides were reported from several areas of Guwahati but there has been no report of any casualty with the total death toll due to flood and landslides at 46 so far.
During the last 24 hours, 20 major and minor landslides were reported under Dima-Hasao, Goalpara, Hojai, Kamrup and Kamrup (M) with two children crushed to death in Goalpara.
Union Minister for Shipping, Ports, Waterways and Ayush Sarbananda Sonowal today called Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and discussed the grim flood and landslide situation that has crippled life in the state.
The Chief Minister apprised the Union Minister about the prevailing situation and how the various departments are working round the clock to help the people in the affected areas, an official spokesperson said.
A total population of 11,09,300 have been impacted due to the floods and rain in 25 districts of the state which include Bajali, Baksa, Barpeta, Biswanath, Bongaigaon, Chirang, Darrang, Dhemaji, Dhubri, Dibrugarh, Dima-Hasao, Goalpara, Hojai, Kamrup, Kamrup (M), Karbi Anglong West, Kokrajhar, Lakhimpur, Majuli, Morigaon, Nagaon, Nalbari, Sonitpur, Tamulpur and Udalguri, according to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA).
The Brahmaputra at Nimatighat and Dhubri, Kopili at Nagaon, Puthimari at Kamrup, Pagaladiya at Nalbari, Jia-Bharali at Sonitpur, Manas and Beki at Barpeta were flowing above the danger level, according to the bulletin issued by the Central Water Commission (CWC) on Friday morning.
The River Subansiri was flowing above the under construction dam site of the 2,000 MW Lower Subansiri hydroelectric power project (LSHEP) due to heavy rainfall in neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh which has inundated several villages of the two districts of Dhemaji and Lakhimpur, an official said.
The workers working at the dam site have been asked to evacuate from the area by the authorities of the public sector National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC), developing the project.
An alert has been sounded in Karbi Anglong, Morigaon and Nagaon districts after the opening of the four sluice gates of NEEPCO’s Karbi Langpi Hydro Electric Project at Langdong in Dima Hasao district.
Urban flooding was reported from Kamrup Metro, Kamrup, Bajali, Darrang, Goalpara, Morigaon, Nalbari and Udalguri during the last 24 hours, according to the ASDMA bulletin.
Guwahati has been severely affected due to continued water logging in most parts of the city for the fourth consecutive day with Anil Nagar, Nabin Nagar, Zoo Road, Six Mile, Noonmati, Bhootnath, Maligaon, Bamunimaidam, Rajgarh Link Road, Hatigaon, Rukimingaon, Fatasil, Gotanagar among others severely affected.
Road communication has been affected in several affected districts with 99 roads and 11 bridges damaged while landslides on NH-6 in neighbouring Meghalaya, which links Guwahati, Shillong, Silchar and Tripura, has disrupted movement of vehicular traffic.
Meanwhile, the Northeast Frontier Railways has cancelled, partially cancelled or diverted several trains following water-logging in the railway tracks between Nalbari and Ghograpar of Rangiya division in Lower Assam, according to the spokesperson of NF Railways.
Among the prominent trains that have been cancelled on Thursday are the New Bongaigaon-Guwahati passenger train and its corresponding train from Guwahati and the Alipurduar-Guwahati Siffung Express train along with its corresponding train from Guwahati.
The New Delhi-Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express, Kamakhya-Delhi Brahmaputra Mail, Kamakhya-Lokmanya Tilak AC Express, Lalgarh-Dibrugarh Avadh Express, Bikaner-Guwahati Express and the Sealdah-Agartala Kanchanjunga Express have been diverted to Goalpara instead of Rangiya.
NDRF, SDRF, Fire and Emergency Service personnel, police and ASDMA’S AAPDA Mitra Volunteers
are helping in the districts for the safe evacuation of people from affected
areas and so far 5,840 people have been safely evacuated, according to the bulletin.
The current second wave of floods have impacted 77 Revenue Circle and 1,702 villages while 68,331 people have taken shelter in 150 relief camps. Relief materials have been also distributed to other affected populations who are not taking shelters in relief camps through 46 of relief distribution centres/ points opened temporarily.
A total crop area of 20,142 hectares of land and 6,79,278 animals have been affected by the current wave of floods.
Heavy erosion was also reported from Bongaigaon, Dibrugarh, Goalpara, Kamrup, Kokrajhar, Morigaon, Nalbari, Sonitpur and South Salmara districts, according to the ASDMA bulletin.
