Guwahati: Amidst media reports of release of water from a dam in Bhutan being linked directly to the rising water levels and floods in areas of western Assam, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) on Tuesday clarified that the current wave of floods in the western districts of the state was not solely triggered by the water release from the Kurichhu dam in the neighbouring country.
The ASDMA said that the grim flood situation in western Assam was also a result of continuous rainfall in both the upper catchment areas of Bhutan and Assam.
“We would like to provide a clarification to the residents of the state regarding the water release from a dam in Bhutan (Kurichhu) and its impact on the flood situation in Assam. It is important to note that the rise in water levels in rivers such as the Brahmaputra and its tributaries is primarily due to the incessant rainfall in the upper catchment area of Bhutan,” ASDMA informed in a statement here on Tuesday.
It may be mentioned that western and lower Assam districts such as Baksa, Chirang, Kokrajhar, Tamulpur, Udalguri, Barpeta Nalbari are among the 19 districts to be reeling under rising river waters triggered by heavy rainfall activity over the past few days.
“Recent reports in local news channels and newspapers have caused panic among the population of western Assam, linking the rising water levels and floods to the release of water from the Kurichhu dam. However, it is crucial to understand that the flood situation in western Assam is not solely caused by the water release from the dam but is also a result of continuous rainfall in both the upper catchment area of Bhutan and Assam,” it stated.
The Royal Government of Bhutan issued a weather advisory on Tuesday, stating that cloudy weather with light to moderate rainfall might occur in isolated areas of Bhutan in the next two to three days, potentially leading to rising water levels in the Brahmaputra and its tributaries.
In the wake of the weather advisory, ASDMA has urged residents living in the riverine areas of Assam to be prepared with emergency kits and avoid venturing into the rising waters during this period.
“Further, people are urged to refrain from activities such as fishing, collecting firewood, swimming or crossing rivers unnecessarily during these days,” it said.
“ASDMA remains committed to monitoring the situation closely and providing timely updates and support to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the residents of Assam,” it added.
Notably, over 34,000 people in the entire state have been affected by the first wave of the deluge till Tuesday evening.
The floods have taken a heavy toll on farm lands as well, with about 4741.23 hectares of crop area affected. Besides, vital infrastructure, including roads, bridges and embankments, has been damaged by the surging floodwaters.
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The Met office however has provided some hope afterJune 22, stating that the heavy rainfall activity was likely to decrease gradually after two to three days even as the state would continue to experience heavy rain till then
“Moisture incursion is very likely to continue owing to strong low-level Southerly/ Southwesterly winds from the Bay of Bengal to Northeast India during the next two to three days. Under its influence widespread rainfall activity with heavy to very heavy with extremely heavy rainfall/ thunderstorms with lightning is very likely to continue over Assam during the next two to three days and likely to decrease gradually thereafter,” a special weather bulletin of the Regional Meteorological Centre here reported.
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