According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) 10 deaths were reported on Wednesday taking the toll in the state to 41.
The flood situation in Assam has worsened as the government confirmed 41 deaths on Wednesday with the Indian Air Force and the army helping state authorities with rescue work even as over 727,000 people remain affected across 25 districts of the northeastern state.
According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) 10 deaths were reported on Wednesday taking the toll in the state to 41.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said that over 100 persons are missing and the death toll may rise in the next three to four days.
Officials said over 727,000 people across 25 districts have been affected by the flood.
Sarma visited flood-affected districts, including Charaideo and Sivasagar and said that the primary reason for this year’s floods is the heavy flow of water from the neighbouring Nagaland.
“We have never seen this kind of flood and, as per our assessment, the heavy flow of water from Nagaland is the primary reason. We are going to assess what went wrong in the neighbouring state and will take appropriate steps in the future,” he said.
Officials said that the state government has set up 469 relief camps where 18,000 people have taken shelter across the 25 flood-hit districts.
The Indian Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Assam Rifles, and Fire and Emergency Services have been deployed to carry out a massive rescue and relief operation across the affected districts, the officials said.
The Army said that under Operation ‘Jal Rahat’, it has rescued more than 700 stranded people. It said that on requests from the civil administration, four specialised flood relief columns from the Red Shield Division under the Spear Corps have been deployed in the flood-hit districts of Sivasagar, Charaideo and Jorhat.
State authorities said that IAF choppers are being used in rescue operations while drone surveillance is being carried out to assess the flood situation and identify areas requiring immediate assistance.
“This morning, IAF carried out three sorties, airdropping 627 kg of relief supplies to stranded families in Nazira. Our teams remain on the ground, reaching every family with essential relief,” chief minister Sarma said on X.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said it rescued a large number of elderly people stranded in the floods and shifted them to safer areas.
Several roads remain submerged, rail services have been been disrupted in the Simaluguri section and rescue teams are relying on boats to reach marooned villages. According to the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), more than 30 trains have been rescheduled or cancelled after tracks were damaged in various parts, including Mariani.
The India Meteorological Department has forecast further rainfall over parts of Upper Assam and the state government authorities said that they are strengthening the rescue and relief operations further with the support of central and state forces.
