With the onset of monsoon in Northeast India, devastation is being witnessed. Due to heavy rains, landslides and floods have occurred in many areas, due to which life has been disrupted. The situation has worsened the most in Assam, where hundreds of villages in 20 districts have been submerged and about four lakh people have been affected. So far two deaths have been confirmed. The Meteorological Department has warned of heavy rains in the coming days.
Cachar district most affected
According to the latest report of Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), two people have lost their lives in Cachar and Sribhumi districts. So far the death toll due to floods and landslides in the state has reached 10. The situation is very serious in Cachar, where more than one lakh people have been affected, while 85,000 in Sribhumi and about 62,000 in Nagaon are affected by the floods. 764 villages across the state have been flooded and more than 3,500 hectares of agricultural land has been destroyed.
Relief work continues, relief camps in 12 districts
Many relief agencies, including the NDRF, are on the front to deal with the crisis caused by the floods. The administration has activated 155 relief camps and aid centers in 12 districts, where more than 10,000 displaced people have been given shelter. In the last 24 hours, the administration has distributed thousands of quintals of food items, including rice, pulses, salt and mustard oil.
Water level of rivers crosses danger mark
Due to continuous rains, the major rivers of the state are in spate. The Brahmaputra river is flowing above the danger mark in Dibrugarh and Nimatighat, while the water level of Dhansiri, Kopili, Barak and Kushiyara rivers has also increased rapidly. Embankments, bridges, roads and other infrastructure in the adjoining areas have suffered heavy damage. Road, rail and water traffic have been badly affected.
Chief Minister’s warning, Centre’s assurance
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday appealed to the public to be cautious and move to safer places. He said that the situation could worsen due to continuous rain. Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to the Chief Minister over the phone and inquired about the situation and assured all possible help. The Indian Air Force has safely evacuated 14 people stranded on the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border.