Dibrugarh: The flood situation in Assam remained critical on Friday, with the death toll rising to 47 and over 7.21 lakh people affected across 11 districts.
The affected districts include Karbi Anglong, Golaghat, Charaideo, Kamrup, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Nagaon, Dhemaji, Hojai and Kamrup (Metro).
Among them, Sivasagar remains the worst-hit, with 3,92,195 people affected by the floods. It is followed by Charaideo (1,10,755), Jorhat (97,690), Golaghat (25,591) and Dibrugarh (13,390).
“The situation in Sivasagar remained critical. In some areas, the water level has receded, but people are facing immense problems. The Sivasagar district administration has been providing relief to the flood victims. Drinking water shortages have been reported in some areas,” said an official.
Posting on X, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “I received a call from Hon’ble Home Minister Shri Amit Shah ji. In view of the unprecedented flood situation in Assam, he informed me that an inter-ministerial central team will soon visit the state to assess the extent of the damage and help determine the Central assistance required for rebuilding livelihoods.”
Thanking the Union Home Minister for extending support, Sarma said the devastating floods were triggered by a cloudburst in neighbouring Nagaland.
Speaking to reporters during his visit to a relief camp at Komarbondha in Golaghat district, the Chief Minister said Shah informed him that officials from various Union ministries would arrive in Assam “today or tomorrow” to assess the damage.
The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said 6,43,350 people in 35 revenue circles and 889 villages across Charaideo, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Hojai, Jorhat, Kamrup, Kamrup Metro, Karbi Anglong, Nagaon and Sivasagar remain affected by the floods.
A total of 103 relief camps are sheltering 24,124 displaced people, while 255 relief distribution centres are operational. Around 25,375 hectares of cropland remain inundated.
Several rivers, including the Burhidihing at Khowang (Dibrugarh), Disang, Kikhor, Dhansiri and Kushiyara, continue to flow above the danger level, raising concerns of further deterioration in the flood situation.
The NDRF, SDRF, Army and Air Force have been carrying out rescue operations in the flood-affected areas. Assam Cabinet ministers Bimal Borah and Susanta Borgohain have also been assisting in the rescue operations.
Nilima Tayeng (42), a resident of Janzimukh village in Dibrugarh, has been living in fear and anxiety after floodwaters entered her home. The Burhidihing River has been overflowing due to heavy rainfall in parts of Arunachal Pradesh.
The village, which falls under the Dibrugarh West Revenue Circle in the Moran Legislative Assembly constituency, comprises 99 families and has a population of 575.
For most families, small country boats, locally known as “Tulunga Naon”, are the only means of crossing the floodwaters.
“We are facing a lot of problems after floodwaters entered our village. The entire village has been submerged. We have received relief materials, but they are not sufficient for our family. We urge the government to look after us and provide us with more relief materials,” said Nilima.
The situation in Janzimukh Gaon mirrors a much larger emergency across the district. Official figures show that 85 villages in Dibrugarh district have been affected by the recent floods, impacting 13,390 people. Of these, 22 villages fall under the Dibrugarh West Revenue Circle, with Janzimukh Gaon among the worst hit.
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