July 6, 2024 9:06 PM.
In flood-hit Assam, there is no respite from incessant rains across the state. Nearly 24 lakh people are affected in the second wave of floods. Six persons lost their lives in the last 24 hours. Rescue and relief measures are being carried out by the administration.
Several ministers of the state visited flood-hit areas. Some parts of Guwahati also witnessed waterlogging. Flood water also damaged infrastructure, cropland and animals.
AIR Guwahati Correspondent said that the second wave of floods equally affected the domestic and wild animals. Flood water washed away hundreds of domestic animals and massively damaged fisheries.
Several national parks and wildlife sanctuaries are also reeling under the water. 66 anti-poaching camps inundated in one of the worst affected Kaziranga National Park. 114 wild animals reported death including six rhinos at Kaziranga. Most of the deaths caused due to drowning. On the other hand, 100 animals have been rescued from drowning by the Kaziranga Park Authority.
Cachar, Kamrup, Dhubri, Nagaon, Goalpara, Barpeta, Dibrugarh, Bongaigaon, Lakhimpur, Jorhat, Kokrajhar, Karimganj, and Tinsukia are among the districts affected.
Taking stock of the flood situation, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in a telephonic conversation, assured the Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, of getting help and support from the centre. He said that the National Disaster Response Force and the State Disaster Response Force were working on a war footing to rescue and provide relief to the people.
“On account of the heavy rains, a flood-like situation has occurred in Assam. I spoke with Assam CM Himanta Biswa about the ongoing situation. The NDRF and the SDRF are working on a war footing, providing relief and rescuing the victims,” Shah wrote on his official handle.
Earlier on Friday, Assam Chief Minister Sarma visited several flood-affected areas in Dibrugah district, including urban town areas, to take stock of the damage caused by breaches in the embankments.
Expressing condolences to the bereaved families, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Saturday asked party leaders and workers to provide help in rescue and rehabilitation operations. “The flood situation in Assam is becoming increasingly dangerous. My thoughts are with our brothers and sisters reeling under the deluge. I urge the Central and State governments to compassionately and expeditiously extend all possible support to those affected,” he posted on X.
Assam’s Achilles heel stems from a complex combination and permutation of hydrological and climate factors. More than 120 river streams run through the state, with several originating from the hills and mountains of extreme rainfall hotspots in Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya. These rivers, swollen and fierce, encroach upon homes and fields, leaving a trail of despair in their wake.
As many as 12 people have lost their lives due to landslides and storms.
The Brahmaputra river is flowing above the danger mark in Nimatighat, Guwahati, Goalpara, and Dhubri, making the situation worse for the people residing nearby.
In the midst of this watery expanse, the people of Assam are caught in a harrowing race for survival. Their faces, traumatised with a mix of exhaustion and resilience, scream silent stories of struggle and endurance.
On the other hand, the floods in Kaziranga National Park have led to the deaths of 114 wild animals, while 95 were rescued until Saturday, an official was cited as saying by news agency PTI in its report.
In the flood-affected areas, the surrounding area paints a sad picture of desolation and destitution. Homes stood half submerged, their structures trembling under the weight of encroaching water.
Meanwhile, despair looms large over the streets of the hilly Jyotinagar area in Guwahati as a man continues to search for his eight-year-old son, Abhinash, for the third day in a row on Saturday.
Determined to find his son, Hiralal Sarkar has been looking for the boy ever since he fell into a stormwater drain on Thursday.
Several parts of Guwahati, including Anil Nagar, Nabin Nagar, and Rukminigaon, have continued to be inundated since heavy rainfall lashed the city on Thursday evening.
SDRF and the local Kamrup Metropolitan Administration have been working tirelessly to provide respite to the stranded people in different areas, while pumps are being deployed to clear the water.