Meghalaya cloud-burst, flash floods leave trail of devastation in Assam districts

Though columns of the Army and BSF are pressed into rescue operations alongside the NDRF and SDRF teams, they have not been able to reach out because most villages are still submerged, the minister pointed out. The number of cattle and other domestic animals washed away are yet to be ascertained.

A man looks at his house that was damaged in flash floods at Krishnai village in Goalpara in Assam. (Source: PTI)

In Goalpara, of the 14 bodies recovered so far, two are infants, they being Apsara Hujuri (one year two months) and Prakash Rabha (two years six months). The dead also include five women, Hussain said. In Kamrup district on the other hand 12 bodies have been recovered so far. With five deaths in Guwahati city and one in Dhubri, the total death toll in the last three days’ floods in Assam has gone up to 31.

The flood waters came down like a huge wall several metres high and even washed away trucks and cars off the NH 37 for several hundred metres. In Krishnai, Dudhnoi and Bolbola, all highway townships, trucks, cars and other vehicles are lying strewn by the roadside after the floodwaters were gone. In Bolbola, at least 180 persons were killed in a flash flood in 2004.

Minister Hussain, who visited Goalpara and Kamrup today said at least six lakh population have been affected by floods in the two districts in since Sunday night. While four lakh have been affected in Kamrup, 2.11 lakh have been affected in Goalpara. About 1.4 lakh people have been put up in relief camps while thousands have taken shelter under the open sky on the highway and other roads.

Several bridges that have been washed away include an RCC bridge on the Krishnai river in Goalpara. “There has been extensive damage to the National Highway, railway track, state roads as well as village roads. A final assessment will be possible only when the floods recede further in the next two or three days,” minister Hussain informed.

Two men wade through flood water looking for a safer location at Goalpara in Assam. (Source: PTI)

Meanwhile, several localities in Guwahati city continued to remain submerged for the third day today after flash floods hit the Assam capital following incessant rains since Saturday. The army was deployed in Anilnagar and Tarun-nagar, two worst-hit localities.

Rajnath Singh today calls up Tarun Gogoi:

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday called up Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi to take stock of the flood situation in the state. Official sources said while Singh called up in the morning, Gogoi apprised the Home Minister about the slew of steps initiated by the state government to rescue the marooned people in the flood-hit areas of Goalpara, Dhubri, Kamrup (Metro), Kamrup and other districts with the assistance of NDRF, SDRF, Army and paramilitary forces. Gogoi told Singh that scores of marooned people have been evacuated and efforts are on to rescue the stranded ones.

The chief minister also told the union home minister about a slight improvement in the flood situation following a let-up in rainfall in the past 24 hours. However, Gogoi described the situation as ‘grim and critical’. Gogoi also apprised about the relief operations being carried out by the district administrations and the opening up of relief camps for the flood affected people. (ends)