Assam Flood Crisis: Signs of Improvement with Lingering Challenges

The flood situation in Assam is improving, but nearly 1.2 lakh people across five districts are still affected. 123 relief camps are operational, providing shelter to over 17,000 people. The Gauhati High Court criticized the Assam government for waterlogging issues, while Dibrugarh faces flash floods due to poor drainage.

The flood situation in Assam showed signs of improvement on Thursday, but nearly 1.2 lakh people remain affected across five districts, according to an official bulletin.

The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) reported that over 115,500 people are impacted by floods in Cachar, Darrang, Dhemaji, Kamrup, and Karimganj. Cachar is the most severely hit, with around 75,000 people affected, followed by Karimganj with over 39,000 and Dhemaji with almost 1,000.

As of Wednesday, about 1.4 lakh people were affected in seven districts. The death toll from floods, landslides, and storms this year is 41.

Currently, 123 relief camps and distribution centres in two districts shelter 17,383 people. ASDMA has distributed essential supplies, including 35.59 quintals of rice, 6.71 quintals of dal, 2.01 quintals of salt, and 201.18 litres of mustard oil to flood victims in the last 24 hours.

Presently, 419 villages are submerged, and 693.57 hectares of cropland have been damaged. Floodwaters have also damaged infrastructure such as embankments, roads, and bridges in Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Lakhimpur, and Udalguri.

The Kushiyara river in Karimganj town is flowing above the danger level. Over 1,39,000 domestic animals and poultry statewide are affected.

Meanwhile, the Gauhati High Court criticized the Assam government for not addressing the ongoing waterlogging issues in the state capital, imposing fines on four departments for non-compliance with notices.

Additionally, Dibrugarh town in Upper Assam faced flash floods after heavy rain on Thursday. Knee-deep water submerged most streets, including the busy Mancotta road, due to an inadequate drainage system. Residents blame annual waterlogging on poor drainage and encroachments near the Dibrugarh Town Protection drain.

'Every year waterlogging occurs mainly due to the poor drainage system. Although roads are constructed in every ward, drains adjacent to these roads are neglected,' said Parimal Banik, a resident of Dibrugarh.

Rainwater from the town cannot flow out due to encroachments near the Dibrugarh Town Protection (DTP) drain, leading to waterlogging in several areas, an official stated anonymously.

'We need a scientific drainage system to flush out water from the town. Dibrugarh, one of the oldest towns in Assam, faces severe waterlogging during the rainy season,' said Ismail Ahmed, a retired professor.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)