Dibrugarh: The flood situation has turned critical in Upper Assam districts, claiming 31 lives and affecting over 7 lakh people.
According to reports, at least 100 people are missing in the floods, while more than 18,000 people have been shifted to relief camps.
“Fourteen people have died in Sivasagar district alone. The flood situation has turned critical because most areas have been inundated. People do not know what to do or how to save themselves. This is one of the worst floods in Assam,” an official said.
Sivasagar district has recorded the highest number of casualties, with 14 flood-related deaths. Other affected districts include Charaideo (6 deaths), Jorhat (5), Dhemaji (2), Golaghat (2), Sonitpur (1), and Karbi Anglong (1).
According to official data, 74 revenue circles have been affected and around 1,700 villages inundated.
In response to the growing humanitarian crisis, the state and local administrations have set up 95 active relief camps, currently sheltering around 18,500 displaced people.
To distribute essential supplies, food and clean drinking water to residents stranded outside shelter centres, authorities have established 469 relief distribution centres across the state.
The floodwaters have caused extensive damage to residential infrastructure, with 401 houses completely destroyed and another 1,848 partially damaged.
The floods have also severely affected livestock across rural Assam. A total of 185 animals have been reported dead or washed away, including 119 large animals, 31 small animals and 35 poultry birds.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday visited the flood-affected districts of Charaideo, Sivasagar and Jorhat to assess the damage caused by the ongoing floods and review relief and rehabilitation measures.
During his visit, the Chief Minister interacted with displaced families at various relief camps and assured them that the state government would stand by them throughout the relief, rehabilitation and livelihood restoration process.
He said people suffering from serious illnesses or those who are immobile would be shifted to hospitals for proper medical care. He also assured flood victims that the government would help them obtain replacement copies of important documents lost in the floods.
Reviewing the arrangements at the relief camps, Sarma said medical teams and all essential services had been deployed to ensure the well-being of the affected people.
Expressing concern over the unprecedented situation, the Chief Minister said sudden cloudbursts had triggered floods even in districts that had never witnessed such severe inundation before. He added that government agencies were working round the clock on rescue, relief and restoration efforts to bring the situation under control.
“The affected families are not alone in this crisis. Our Government is standing with them at every step of rehabilitation and rebuilding their livelihoods,” the Chief Minister said.
Restoration work in full swing
Owing to heavy rainfall in the upstream catchment areas, the overflowing Dikhow River inundated Simaluguri Town station and surrounding areas in Sivasagar district under the Tinsukia Division of Northeast Frontier Railway. The floodwaters affected parts of the Simaluguri station yard, the railway colony and overtopped railway tracks in the affected sections.
Despite the challenging conditions, the Tinsukia Division has launched extensive restoration work with 24×7 monitoring to ensure the earliest possible restoration of normal train services. Engineering teams led by senior railway officials have been working continuously on a war footing to address the impact of the floodwaters and restore train services.
Restoration work is currently in full swing in the Selenghat-Amguri section, where more than 200 workers, along with railway engineers and supervisors, have been deployed to expedite repair and restoration activities. The teams are carrying out track restoration, strengthening infrastructure and continuously inspecting the affected locations to ensure the safe resumption of train operations.
Significant restoration work was also undertaken in the Sivasagar Town-Simaluguri section on the previous day, with railway personnel making steady progress despite adverse weather conditions.
Senior officials of Northeast Frontier Railway are closely supervising the restoration efforts, while all concerned departments are working in close coordination to minimise disruption to train services and restore normalcy at the earliest. Passenger safety remains the highest priority, and every effort is being made to complete the restoration work efficiently and safely.
Due to severe flooding in and around Simaluguri town in Sivasagar district under the Tinsukia Division of Northeast Frontier Railway, train services between the Simaluguri-Namtiali and Simaluguri-Selenghat sections have been suspended in the interest of passenger safety and operational requirements.
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