Assam Floods: CM Himanta Visits Worst-Hit Dibrugarh, 24 Lakh People Affected Across 30 Districts
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday conducted an extensive tour of several flood-affected areas in the Dibrugarh district, including urban locales, to assess the damage caused by breaches in embankments. The visit encompassed a detailed assessment of the urban flood situation in Dibrugarh town, which has been enduring severe power shortages for the past nine days.
CM Sarma commenced his visit by traversing the flooded H S Road and Mahalaya Road, engaging directly with residents to understand their challenges. Highlighting the urban flooding issues, he attributed the problem to clogged drains exacerbated by the Brahmaputra River’s water level exceeding the danger mark, impeding proper drainage, news agency PTI reported.
During his interaction with the affected populace, Sarma reassured them of the government’s support through relief efforts and medical facilities. The residents urgently appealed for the restoration of the power supply. Addressing this, Sarma explained, “The power supply had to be turned off to prevent mishaps due to electrocution”, as quoted by PTI. He directed the district commissioner to restore the power supply with public announcements to ensure people stay indoors during the process.
“We will be engaging experts and the residents to find a community-driven solution to the problem of inundation in Dibrugarh town,” the chief minister stated, promising swift action to clear clogged drains once the floodwaters recede.
The chief minister also inspected the embankment breach at Khowang, where the Burhi Dihing River’s overflow had inundated 30 villages, assessing the damage personally.
He then visited the Ghumtal area of Tengakhat, another site of an embankment breach by the Buridihing River. Sarma assured the people that the embankments would be repaired and reinforced. “The embankments will be repaired initially with the help of geo-bags, but there is also a proposal to build a strong embankment on the River Buridihing with funds from the Asian Development Bank,” he added.
‘Embankments Constructed During Congress Rule’: Assam CM Hits Back Over Flood Allegations
In response to the opposition Congress party’s allegations regarding the breaches, Assam CM Sarma retorted, “These embankments were constructed during their (Congress) rule. If we start pointing out figures, then more than 350 embankments were breached in 2004. This is not the time to do politics.”
Visiting a relief camp in Tengakhat, Sarma assured the displaced people of comprehensive support, including food, clothing, and swift repairs to their damaged homes. He instructed immediate medical attention for a sick individual and noted the phone number of an elderly person, promising to follow up on the relief distribution.
“We are working on a war footing to ensure connectivity is restored at the earliest,” the chief minister asserted, as he witnessed the optimism of children in the relief camp who sang songs during his visit. “The optimism I see in our children is the biggest inspiration amid this grim situation.”
The Assam Chief Minister shared videos of his interactions with Dibrugarh residents where he is seen talking to them about the damages incurred including boats damaged and homes lost.
“The families living on the river banks are suffering the most in the floods. Many people have lost their boats and many have lost their houses. I have instructed all the district administrations that everyone should get compensation before 15 August 2024,” he wrote on X.
Assam Floods Affect Over 24 Lakh People Across 30 Districts, Total Death Toll Rises To 64
The flood situation in Assam has further deteriorated, with over 24 lakh people affected across 30 districts as major rivers continue to flow above the danger mark. The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) confirmed that two persons, including a child, died in a landslide caused by incessant rainfall in the Dispur area of Kamrup Metropolitan district, PTI reported. This brings the death toll from this year’s floods, landslides, and storms to 64.
The ASDMA bulletin detailed that 24,20,722 individuals are currently affected, with 63,490.97 hectares of cropland inundated. Comparatively, on Thursday, 21,13,204 people in 29 districts were affected, with 57,018 hectares of cropland submerged.
Dhubri is among the worst-hit districts, with 7,75,721 people affected. Other severely impacted districts include Darrang (1,86,108), Cachar (1,75,231), Barpeta (1,39,399), and Morigaon (1,46,045). A total of 47,103 affected individuals have sought refuge in 612 relief camps.
Rescue operations continue as more than 379 people and 483 animals have been evacuated by various agencies. Urban flooding has been reported in Kamrup (Metropolitan), where a child is missing, as well as in Kamrup and Dibrugarh districts.
The River Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger mark at Nimatighat, Guwahati, Goalpara, and Dhubri. Its tributaries, including Burhi Dihing, Dikhou, Disang, Dhansiri, Jia Bharali, and Kopili, are also above the danger level. Similarly, the Barak River and its tributaries are overflowing, as per PTI.
The floods have affected 15,28,226 animals, with 84 washed away in a single day. Kaziranga National Park reported 77 wild animal deaths due to drowning, with 94 others rescued from floodwaters.
Infrastructure damage includes 225 roads and 10 bridges, as per the ASDMA bulletin. Assam’s cabinet ministers were stationed in various flood-affected districts to coordinate relief efforts.
