Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: Floods in Assam killed one more person on July 19, pushing the death toll to five this year. The Assam State Disaster Management Authority reports over 57,100 people across seven districts now face the rising waters. This figure jumped from just 24,000 residents affected only a day earlier. Charaideo remains the hardest hit with nearly 24,000 impacted, followed by Dhemaji with 22,000 and Dibrugarh with 4,000.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has put the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force on standby. Troops are ready for emergency evacuation and rescue if conditions collapse further. The government issued this specific request for the districts of Sivasagar, Charaideo, and Jorhat. Sarma stated, "As the flood situation in Sivasagar, Charaideo and Jorhat continues to worsen, the Government of Assam has requested the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force to be on standby to support evacuation and rescue operations, if required."
Sarma dispatched cabinet ministers Ajanta Neog, Bimal Borah, Keshab Mahanta, and Susanta Borgohain to the field. These officials must supervise relief and ensure aid reaches every family. The Chief Minister added, "The safety and well-being of our people is our highest priority. I am monitoring the situation round the clock, and we will take every necessary step to protect lives and provide all possible relief."
Operations are currently underway. The state runs 14 relief camps housing 440 people. State Disaster Response Force personnel plucked 10 residents from floodwaters in Charaideo today. Relief distribution over the last 24 hours includes 58.17 quintals of rice, 10.89 quintals of dal, 3.26 quintals of salt, and 326.88 litres of mustard oil. Waters have swamped 298 villages and ruined 3,874.84 hectares of crops. Embankments, roads, and bridges suffered significant damage. The Burhidihing river remains above danger marks at Chenimari. Beyond human impact, the crisis has affected more than 37,500 domestic animals and poultry.
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