Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: The flood crisis in Assam escalated sharply by July 20, leaving 362,933 people stranded across 16 districts. Ten people have died in the deluge. Two others remain missing.
The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) reported fatalities in Jorhat and Karbi Anglong. Four people, including two men and two girls, drowned in Jorhat. One person died in Karbi Anglong. The state also recorded two missing persons, one each in Karbi Anglong and Charaideo. Total deaths for the year reached ten.
The Army launched Operation Jal Rahat to assist in eastern districts. Charaideo, Sivasagar, and Jorhat face the brunt of the rising waters. Multiple Army and Assam Rifles teams are evacuating residents. The Indian Air Force remains on standby. Indian Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed the deployment urgency. He 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."
NDRF teams are active on the ground. The 12th Battalion deployed 186 personnel and 24 boats to Sivasagar and Charaideo. The 1st Battalion sent 60 personnel and 10 boats to Jorhat. SDRF teams are also working in these zones and Golaghat. Authorities are managing 14 relief camps sheltering 440 people.
Infrastructure is failing. Breaches in at least two embankments allowed water to swallow 794 villages across 45 revenue circles. Floodwaters destroyed 19,099.59 hectares of cropland. Rail lines are damaged and services face disruption.
Five major rivers remain above the danger mark. These include the Brahmaputra at Neamatighat, Burhidihing at Khowang, Dikhow at Sivasagar, Disang at Nanglamuraghat, and Dhansiri at Numaligarh. Urban flooding is hitting Guwahati hard. Dewatering pumps are currently clearing major waterlogged localities like Anil Nagar, Rukminigaon, and Rajgarh Road.
Chief Minister Sarma directed ministers Ajanta Neog, Bimal Borah, Keshab Mahanta, and Susanta Borgohain to oversee relief operations. Supplies delivered recently include 58.17 quintals of rice, 10.89 quintals of dal, and 3.26 quintals of salt. More than 37,500 domestic animals are also caught in the flood zones.
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