Guwahati: The flood situation in Assam deteriorated sharply on Tuesday, with one death reported from Sonitpur district, taking the toll to three in this year’s first wave of floods.The latest casualty was reported from the Naduar revenue circle in Sonitpur district. The number of affected people surged nearly fourfold in the last 24 hours to more than 37,000, according to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA).Floodwaters have inundated six districts — Sonitpur, Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Jorhat and Sivasagar — affecting 12 revenue circles and 99 villages. The number of people hit by the deluge rose to 37,032, up from over 9,600 on Monday.Lakhimpur remained the worst-affected district, accounting for 35,696 of the total affected population.The ASDMA said relief materials are being distributed through 20 relief distribution centres. During the past 24 hours, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) rescued 16 people from Sonitpur district.The floods have submerged 1,103.94 hectares of crop area, while two animals were washed away and 16,139 livestock, including poultry, have been affected. Damage to roads and other infrastructure was also reported from several flood-hit districts, the bulletin said.The fresh spell of flooding was triggered by heavy monsoon rain across upper Assam and adjoining Arunachal Pradesh, causing rivers to swell and overflow into low-lying areas. Authorities are monitoring the situation as rainfall continues across parts of the state.
