Assam Floods: Over 2,400 villages submerged, death toll mounts to 87

The floods in Assam have affected 30 districts, causing enormous damages to the livelihoods of more than 55 lakh and claiming 87 lives, according to the flood situation report by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA).  The report also stated that 2,409 villages in the state have been affected.

Incessant rainfall since the past four days in the state has led to water levels rising in the Brahmaputra and its tributary Krishnai river in the region.

87 people dead and 55,59,797 affected across 30 districts due to floods in the state, as of now: Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) pic.twitter.com/KyfZBFhKUl

— ANI (@ANI) July 22, 2020

1,09,358.67 hectares of crops have been damaged across the states due to the deluge.

The ASDMA also stated that the government has till now set up a total of 397 relief camps and distribution centers in 18 districts. 44,553 people have been evacuated to safe shelters.

Some of the worst affected districts are Cachar, Kamrup (M), Dibrugarh, and Charaideo. Meanwhile, the Central Water Commission has warned that the Brahmaputra river is likely to rise by 30 cm by tomorrow evening, as compared to this morning. A warning has been issued to prevent people from going near coastal areas and the waterfront.

The overflowing of the rivers has severely affected the life of locals in Hawra Ghat village, leaving many locals marooned. An NDRF team, however, reached the flood-affected village and transported the locals to safe places.

The team is also assisting the district administration in the distribution of masks, screening inundated areas, and other guidelines due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Nepali Khunti village in Goalpara is one of the affected villages and has gone underwater after a local dam collapsed, flooding the entire village. There are at least 100 families in the village who have become homeless overnight and have nowhere else to go. 

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal late on Monday inspected an embankment damaged by rainfall and increased water flow in the Buradiya river at the Pokhura village of Nalbari district. During his visit, he also met locals affected by floods in the state.