Over 4 lakh hit by Assam floods as toll reaches 10; Shah dials CM to take stock of situation

Guwahati/Rangia/Jorhat/Tinsukia (Assam), Jun 1 (PTI) Two more deaths took the toll in floods and landslides in Assam to 10 as more than 4 lakh people remained affected in over 20 districts on Sunday, with seven major rivers in spate, an official bulletin said.

The situation is likely to aggravate for people living in low-lying and river bank areas due to continued heavy rainfall in the state and neighbouring areas, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma cautioned.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah dialled Sarma during the day to take stock of the situation and assured of all possible assistance, as multiple agencies remained engaged in rescue and relief operations. Fourteen stranded people were rescued by an IAF helicopter from the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border.

Road, railway and ferry services have been hit in different parts as most areas in the state continued receiving rain over the past few days.

The state government announced ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each for the families of the five persons killed in landslides in Guwahati over the last few days.

An Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) bulletin issued late evening said one death each has been reported in Cachar and Sribhumi districts over the last 24 hours.

The toll in floods and landslides in the state is now at 10.

The bulletin said 3,64,046 people in 56 revenue circles and 764 villages of 19 districts are reeling under floods.

Cachar is the worst-hit with 1,03,790 affected people, followed by Sribhumi with 83,621 and Nagaon with 62,700.

An official statement from Cachar said all educational institutions in the district will remain closed for two days till Tuesday.

As much as 3,524.38 hectares of crop land has been inundated and 696 animals washed away, the ASDMA bulletin said.

A total of 52 relief camps are sheltering 10,272 inmates, while another 103 relief distribution centres are functional.

'Urban floods' have been reported from four districts, affecting over 41,000 people, while four districts also remained affected by landslides.

The rivers flowing above the danger level in the state are Brahmaputra in Dibrugarh and Neamatighat, Dhansiri in Numaligarh, Kopili in Kampur, Katakhal in Matizuri, Barak in Badarpur Ghat and Kushiyara in Sribhumi.

Multiple agencies have been engaged in providing relief and rescuing stranded people using various means, including an Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter and boats, the ASDMA bulletin added.

Tinsukia District Commissioner Swapneel Paul said 14 people trapped in the swollen Bomjir River on the Assam-Arunachal border were rescued by IAF personnel in the early hours.

"The trapped individuals were stranded due to rising water levels caused by continuous rainfall in the region. The district administration quickly coordinated with the IAF and Arunachal Pradesh officials to execute the rescue plan," he said.

All the 14 people have been sent back home, the official said.

Sarma, who briefed the Union Home minister over phone about the current situation, advised people living in riverside and low-lying areas to remain alert in view of incessant rain in the state and neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh.

"Hon'ble Home Minister Shri @AmitShah Ji called me a short while ago to enquire about the floods in Assam and has offered all possible assistance to deal with the ongoing situation," the CM said in a post on X.

"I have briefed him on the measures being taken and we are grateful for his concern and support," Sarma said.

In another post, Sarma said heavy rainfall has been recorded in Arunachal Pradesh's Kibitoo (17 cm), Hayuliang (15 cm) and Kalaktang (10 cm), which may lead to a sharp rise in river levels downstream.

"Assam is already witnessing intense rain in Silchar (42 cm), Karimganj (35 cm), Hailakandi (30 cm) and in nearby areas. People in low-lying and riverbank areas are advised to stay alert and follow local advisories. Stay safe, stay prepared," he added.

Meanwhile, four trains were cancelled and another short terminated/ short originated due to water flowing over the tracks on the Baraigram- Dullabcherra section, a Northeast Frontier Railway spokesperson said.

The Dullabcherra-Silchar, Silchar-Dullabcherra and Badarpur-Dullabcherra-Badarpur passenger trains have been cancelled for two days.

The Guwahati-Dullabcherra-Guwahati train will be short terminated/short originated at/from Baraigram and remained cancelled between Baraigram and Dullabcherra till Tuesday, he added.

A portion of National Highway-17 has been overtopped near Shingra Shalnibari in Chaygaon area of Kamrup district since Saturday, officials said.

Heavy rain coupled with water flowing down from neighbouring Meghalaya has aggravated the situation in the area, they said.

Measures were being taken to facilitate traffic movement using alternative routes, they said.

Officials said ferry services between Jorhat and Majuli have been suspended with immediate effect due to the rising water level of the Brahmaputra river.

The chief minister had said on Friday that the state was facing an abnormal situation due to incessant downpour caused by massive cloud cover over several parts of the Northeast. PTI SSG CORR TR RBT RG ACD SSG ACD