Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: The flood crisis in Assam continues to escalate as the death toll climbed to 61 on Friday. According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority, the disaster now impacts 705,148 people across 856 villages. Twelve districts currently remain in the crosshairs, including Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat, Golaghat, Dibrugarh, Hojai, Nagaon, Kamrup (Metro), Karbi Anglong, Biswanath, Dhemaji, and Sonitpur. The deluge has submerged 56,606.77 hectares of cropland and crippled connectivity across 37 revenue circles.
Urban infrastructure is also buckling. Flooding hit 10 localities in Kamrup and Kamrup (Metro), affecting 14,986 residents. Meanwhile, 14 lives were lost in the current spell alone, with seven deaths in Charaideo, six in Sivasagar, and one in Jorhat. Over 300 individuals remain missing. Personnel from the NDRF, SDRF, Indian Army, and Indian Air Force are spearheading evacuation efforts while distributing food and water.
Amidst the chaos, a Sivasagar woman gave birth on a partially submerged road after an ambulance stalled in floodwaters. SDRF and health workers successfully revived the newborn after a tense silence. The girl is now safe. Elsewhere, survivors report that official aid often arrives late. In Chandak village, a shopkeeper noted that rebuilding his livelihood will take time, stating, "Before reconstruction, however, he says access to safe drinking water has become the community's most urgent need."
Residents describe an unprecedented catastrophe. Entire settlements like Nepali Khalti have been swallowed as rivers shifted course. Survivors remain trapped in homes or on patches of high ground, struggling with food shortages and insufficient relief. While waters may eventually recede, the massive task of economic recovery for farmers and small business owners is just beginning.
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