GUWAHATI: The death toll in this year’s floods in Assam has risen to 68 after two more people died in Charaideo district, even as the overall flood situation showed signs of improvement.However, more than 5.24 lakh people continue to remain affected across five districts, officials said on Monday.According to the latest bulletin issued by the Disaster Reporting and Information Management System (DRIMS), Charaideo remains the worst-affected district, with nearly 1.9 lakh people still impacted by floodwaters.The other affected districts are Golaghat, Jorhat, Nagaon and Sivasagar, news agency PTI reported.A total of 354 relief camps and relief distribution centres are currently operational across four districts, sheltering and assisting 37,724 displaced people.Rescue and relief operations are being carried out by the Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Fire and Emergency Services and Assam Police, while floodwaters have also damaged embankments, roads, bridges and other public infrastructure in several districts.Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the government has shifted its focus towards restoration and rehabilitation as floodwaters gradually recede.“As Assam steadily recovers from the floods, power restoration efforts continue across affected districts,” Sarma said in a post on X.He said electricity supply, which had been suspended as a precaution during the floods, is being restored in phases after comprehensive safety inspections in districts including Sivasagar, Jorhat, Charaideo, Dhubri and Bongaigaon.“We remain committed to restoring essential services at the earliest and ensuring every affected community returns to normalcy,” he added.The chief minister also said that post-flood rehabilitation would be taken up on priority, with damaged schools and public infrastructure to be repaired.Food grains, including rice bags, are being dispatched continuously, medical teams remain deployed in affected areas, and essential supplies are being air-dropped wherever road connectivity has been cut off, PTI reported.
Congress targets BJP over ‘unfulfilled flood-free Assam’ promise
Meanwhile, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi expressed solidarity with the flood-affected people.Congress leaders have urged both the Centre and the Assam government to provide immediate relief while working towards a permanent solution to the state’s recurring flood crisis.Kharge said the Union and state governments must deploy all available resources for rescue, relief and rehabilitation, besides releasing substantial assistance from the PM-CARES Fund and ensuring adequate compensation for every life, home and livelihood lost.Referring to the BJP’s 2016 Assam Vision Document, Kharge questioned why promises of making Assam flood-free had not materialised despite a decade in power, PTI reported.“Ten years of BJP rule have now passed. What happened to those solemn promises? Why has Assam’s so-called ‘double-engine government’ failed to build a comprehensive flood-control, erosion-management and rehabilitation system?” he asked.He said Assam needs a scientifically designed long-term flood management strategy, including stronger embankments, modern early-warning systems, wetland restoration, climate-resilient infrastructure and better rehabilitation measures.Rahul Gandhi also called for a lasting solution, saying annual floods continue to cause widespread devastation across the state.“It is expected that the Central and state governments will leave no stone unturned in providing relief and rescue to the affected people,” Gandhi said, adding that the time had come to prioritise prevention, early-warning systems, robust infrastructure and rehabilitation.
Papon urges India to stand with flood-hit Assam
Singer Papon also appealed to people across India and abroad to support the flood-hit state.In a video message shared on X, he said villages had been inundated, thousands displaced and many people and animals had lost their lives.“I request everyone in India and across the world to please look towards Assam. It’s humanity… Whatever we can do, we need to do it quickly,” he said.On Sunday, Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal described the flood situation as “very serious” and said the Centre and the Assam government were working together on relief and rescue efforts.Sonowal said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been closely monitoring the situation, had spoken to chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and had assured all possible assistance from the Centre.“The Prime Minister called me this morning and inquired about the situation. He said, ‘Tell the people of Assam that we stand with them and are ready to provide any assistance,’” Sonowal said.He added that a high-level inter-ministerial team has reached Assam to assess the damage and coordinate rehabilitation efforts with the state government.(With agency inputs)
