Assam Flood Toll Rises to 61; Over 7 Lakh People Still Affected

Guwahati, July 25: The flood situation in Assam remained critical on Saturday despite a marginal improvement in water levels in some areas, with the death toll rising to 61 and more than 7.05 lakh people affected across nine districts, officials said.

According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), 14 more people died in flood-related incidents during the last 24 hours. Charaideo district reported seven deaths, including two women, while six people, including a woman, died in Sivasagar and one person lost their life in Jorhat.

The ASDMA said over 7,05,100 people have been impacted in Charaideo, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Hojai, Jorhat, Karbi Anglong, Nagaon and Sivasagar districts. Sivasagar remains the worst-hit district with nearly 3.5 lakh affected people, followed by Charaideo with around 1.9 lakh and Jorhat with over 1.3 lakh.

Although the number of affected people has declined from more than 7.21 lakh across 11 districts on Thursday, the situation continues to be severe.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said relief operations were underway but nearly 80,000 flood-hit residents remain beyond the reach of rescue teams due to rising waters. He said around 50,000 people in Nazira Assembly constituency and another 30,000 in parts of Sivasagar are yet to receive relief materials.

Local BJP MLA Mayur Borgohain also acknowledged that nearly 30 per cent of the affected population in Nazira has not been reached by the administration.

The Dikhou River at Sivasagar, the Dhansiri River at Nanglamuraghat and Numaligarh, and the Kushiyara River at Sribhumi continue to flow above the danger mark.

The floods have submerged 856 villages, damaged over 56,606 hectares of crop land and caused extensive damage to roads, embankments, bridges and other infrastructure.

Authorities are operating 363 relief camps and distribution centres sheltering over 1.15 lakh displaced people. Rescue teams from the Army, NDRF, SDRF, Fire and Emergency Services, police and civil administration have evacuated around 1,000 people from Jorhat and Sivasagar.

During the past 24 hours, the administration distributed food essentials, including rice, pulses, salt and mustard oil, while over 3.34 lakh domestic animals and poultry have also been affected by the floods. (Agencies)