Guwahati: Persistent heavy downpours on Wednesday have significantly intensified the flood situation across several districts in Assam, impacting over 5.65 lakh individuals. Sivasagar district has emerged as the worst-hit region, grappling with widespread inundation and significant loss of life.
State disaster management authorities reported a grim Tuesday, with 21 fatalities attributed to the floods. Sivasagar alone accounted for 13 deaths, followed by Charaideo with five, Golaghat with two, and Jorhat with one. These recent casualties have tragically elevated the total flood-related death toll in Assam this year to 31. Additionally, one person has succumbed to urban flooding in Guwahati, and approximately 70 individuals are reported missing across the state, raising concerns among authorities.
Compounding the distress, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an 'Orange Alert' for Wednesday, cautioning residents to prepare for potential calamities. A 'Yellow Alert' has also been declared for the subsequent four days, forecasting isolated heavy rains, thunderstorms, and lightning, which could further exacerbate the already precarious conditions.
The escalating flood crisis became a focal point in the Assam Assembly, where opposition parties moved an Adjournment Motion to discuss the dire situation. Responding to the concerns, the government acknowledged that the sheer scale of the natural calamity had taken the administration by surprise, noting that 12 of the affected districts had not witnessed such an extensive deluge in over six decades. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has since visited several flood-affected areas in Upper Assam districts, announcing an ex-gratia payment of Rs 4 lakh to the families of those who lost their lives in the floods, as the state mobilises resources to tackle the ongoing disaster.
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