Assam Flood Toll Hits 11 as Army Scales Up Rescue Operations

Guwahati: Assam’s flood crisis intensified this week, pushing the death toll to 11. Incessant monsoon rains across the state and neighboring Arunachal Pradesh fueled the disaster. The Assam State Disaster Management Authority reports over 3.10 lakh people remain affected across 758 villages in 11 districts, including Biswanath, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Kamrup, Nagaon, and Tinsukia. Major rivers, including the Brahmaputra, Dikhow, Desang, and Dhansiri, are surging well above danger levels. The Desang River at Desangpani surpassed its previous highest flood level, while the Dikhou at Sivasagar crossed its extreme flood threshold.

The Indian Army launched Operation Jal Rahat to counter the rising waters. Spear Corps personnel have evacuated hundreds of trapped residents using boats, engineering gear, and medical teams. A senior Army officer stated, "The protection of the country's borders and extending assistance to citizens during natural disasters are among our highest priorities." While initial reports noted 200 rescues, later operations pushed that number to 571, working alongside the National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force.

Tragedy struck repeatedly in Jorhat. Two teenage girls, 14-year-old Susmita Mardha and Chuniya Pahariya, drowned in the Doi Jaan stream. Later, 51-year-old Lalit Gogoi of Mariani died after being swept away. Titabor MLA Dhiraj Gowala described the devastation as an extraordinary natural disaster. Authorities have opened 101 relief camps, sheltering nearly 45,000 displaced people. Across the state, 19,099 hectares of crops and nearly 3.89 lakh animals are impacted. Flood damage has severed 29 roads and breached six embankments.

Infrastructure is crumbling. Northeast Frontier Railway canceled and diverted several services as tracks remain submerged. Beyond Assam, Arunachal Pradesh is battling flash floods across five districts, affecting 1.49 lakh people. Nagaland’s death toll from landslides and floods in Mon district reached nine, with four still missing. Heavy rains are also punishing northern India, leaving 23 dead in Jammu and Kashmir, while cloudbursts destroyed six homes in Himachal Pradesh.