Shillong: Nearly 80,000 people in Upper Assam remain cut off from emergency aid. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed the figures on Friday as rescue agencies struggle to reach villages isolated by massive flooding.
The hardest hit areas are Nazira, with 50,000 stranded residents, and Sivasagar, where 30,000 people await help. Sarma addressed the press in Guwahati. "There are around 50,000 people in Nazira and nearly 30,000 people in Sivasagar whom the government has not yet been able to reach with relief. The flood situation has improved slightly, but these areas remain inaccessible," he said.
Floodwaters are receding in some spots. Yet, many remote villages stay trapped. The National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force, the Army, and local administrations are using boats to navigate the inundated terrain. They work around the clock.
The death toll has climbed to 50. Officials fear that number will rise as search crews continue their work and reports of missing persons come in. Infrastructure is also failing. Heavy rains left more than 60,000 households without power. Crews cannot reach damaged lines in submerged areas to start repairs.
The Sivasagar, Charaideo, and Jorhat districts face the worst of the damage. An inter-ministerial team from the Central government arrives Saturday. They will assess the destruction and determine how much money the state needs for recovery.
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