Assam floods: 6 more die, toll rises to 58

The floods have claimed the lives of 114 animals in Kaziranga National Park, including six rhinos, said officials.

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A search for the boy is underway, Saturday. PTI

Six people died in flood-related incidents in Assam Saturday, taking the toll to 58 so far in the deluge with 23.9 lakh people affected across 3,535 villages.

With the state government reeling under losses due to the devastating floods, a senior official in the Assam State Disaster Management Authority said it is likely that the worst is over. “The situation has actually been improving since July 2 and we hope that in two days, the water will start receding,” said the official. As of Saturday evening, 53,429 are seeking refuge in shelter camps across the state.

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma meets the parents of eight-year-old Abhinash, who fell into a stormwater drain in Guwahati, Saturday. PTI

The floods have claimed the lives of 114 animals in Kaziranga National Park, including six rhinos, said officials.

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Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah Saturday spoke to Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma to take stock of the flood situation in the state and said the NDRF and the SDRF are working on war footing to rescue and provide relief to affected people. Shah also said PM Narendra Modi stands firmly with the people of Assam.

“Compared to the last major flooding in 2022 which was more centred in the Barak Valley and Lower Assam and near Guwahati, this time the flooding is more centred in North and Upper Assam. This is due to heavy rainfall in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, resulting in water coming down towards the plains, as well as heavy rainfall in these regions of Assam as well. This caused severe flooding on June 29 and 30 and July 1,” said the official.

Locals cross a flooded area on a boat, in Balimuk village of Morigaon district, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (PTI Photo)

As of Saturday evening, the Brahmaputra was flowing above the danger level in four locations. Other rivers like Barak, Burhi Dihing, Dikhou, Disang and Dhansiri are also flowing above the danger level in different locations.

According to a scientist of the Regional Meteorological Centre of the IMD, the state received 12% higher than normal rainfall in June. The IMD has forecast moderate rainfall across most parts of the North East over the next five days, with prediction of heavy or very heavy rain in isolated parts of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya.

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A man rows a boat through a flood-affected area at the Balimukh village in Morigaon on Saturday. (ANI Photo)

As of Saturday evening, a total crop area of 68,769 hectares was submerged. While the total infrastructure damage is being assessed, a total of 53 embankments have been damaged in flooding.

The plains of Assam have also been affected by the release of excess water in the last week from all crucial dams which surround the stream in upstream regions: the Ranganadi and Subansiri Lower dams on border of Assam and Arunachal, the Doyang dam in Nagaland and the Kurichu dam in neighbouring Bhutan.