Assam CM Urges Caution Amid Heavy Rains; Floods Claim 880 Lives Since 2019

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma advises residents to stay indoors due to heavy rains in Guwahati. With floods already claiming 880 lives since 2019, flood hazard management measures are being reinforced. Animals at Kaziranga National Park also face tragic losses.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has urged residents to remain indoors following another bout of heavy rainfall in Guwahati. In a social media post, CM Sarma requested people to avoid non-essential travel, especially towards downtown hospital areas on GS Road.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has reported 880 casualties due to devastating floods in Assam between 2019 and July 25 of this year. Responding to a query in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai indicated that state-provided data confirmed the tragic toll.

The National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have created a state-level flood hazard zonation atlas for Assam using satellite data from 1998 to 2023. This serves as a non-structural resource for flood hazard management and developmental planning, with warnings offered to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) up to 36 hours in advance.

Floods this year have also resulted in the deaths of 215 animals, including 13 one-horned rhinos, at Kaziranga National Park. Park officials reported that multiple species, including Hog Deer, Wild Pig, and Sambar, succumbed to the floodwaters.

(With inputs from agencies.)