Guwahati, Jul 19 (PTI) The flood situation in Assam deteriorated on Sunday with one person losing his life and the number of people affected by the deluge rising to over 57,000 across seven districts, forcing the state government to urge the Army and Air Force to be on standby for evacuation and rescue operations, officials said.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said he has instructed four of his cabinet colleagues to visit Upper Assam to oversee rescue and relief efforts in three worst-hit districts in the recent wave of floods.
According to the daily flood report of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), one person has lost his life in Sivasagar due to the deluge.
The total number of people losing their lives in this year’s flood has increased to five.
The ASDMA also said that more than 57,100 people were affected due to the floods in Charaideo, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Sivasagar, Tinsukia and Udalguri districts.
Charaideo was the worst hit with nearly 24,000 people suffering, followed by Dhemaji with over 22,000 and Dibrugarh with more than 4,000 reeling under floodwaters, it added.
Till Saturday, almost 24,000 people were suffering from floodwaters across four districts of the state.
Sarma, in a post on X, said that his government has requested the Army and the Air Force to be on standby to assist the state administration in evacuating flood victims from several districts affected by the deluge.
“As the flood situation in Sivasagar, Charaideo and Jorhat continues to worsen, Govt of Assam has requested the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force to be on standby to support evacuation and rescue operations, if required,” he added.
Sarma said he has directed his ministerial colleagues Ajanta Neog, Bimal Borah, Keshab Mahanta and Susanta Borgohain to immediately reach the flood-hit areas to supervise relief efforts and ensure that every affected family receives timely assistance.
“The safety and well-being of our people is our highest priority. I am monitoring the situation round the clock, and we will take every necessary step to protect lives and provide all possible relief,” the CM said.
The ASDMA said that the administration has been operating 14 relief camps and relief distribution centres in four districts, taking care of 440 displaced people at present.
State Disaster Response Force personnel have rescued 10 people from different parts of Charaideo, it added.
The authorities have distributed 58.17 quintals of rice, 10.89 quintals of dal, 3.26 quintals of salt and 326.88 litres of mustard oil among the flood-hit people in the last 24 hours.
At present, 298 villages are under water, and 3,874.84 hectares of crop land have been damaged across Assam, the ASDMA said.
Embankments, roads, bridges and other infrastructure have been damaged by floodwaters in several districts of the state.
At present, the Burhidihing river is flowing above the danger mark at Chenimari in the Khowang area of Dibrugarh.
On account of widespread flooding, over 37,558 domestic animals and poultry are affected across the state. PTI TR TR BDC
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