Over 20,000 Hit By First Wave Of Floods In Assam After Arunachal Flood

Guwahati : With heavy rain and cloud burst causing massive flash floods in the hills of Arunachal Pradesh, the flood situation in adjoining catchment areas of Assam deteriorated on Thursday affecting more than 20,000 people in Dhemaji district as floodwater in Bajali submerged agricultural land, damaged roads and disrupted normal life.

Informing that the Assam government has issued a high alert, the disaster management authorities said that heavy rainfall in Lower Subansiri of Arunachal Pradesh led to increased river discharge and water release from the hydropower project.

According to information received from the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Guwahati, and the Meteorological Centre, Itanagar, extremely heavy rainfall in the upper catchments has significantly increased river flows, posing a serious threat to downstream districts.

Authorities warned that the flood wave is expected to first impact Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Biswanath and Sonitpur before moving further downstream through other districts and eventually reaching western Assam’s Dhubri over the next one to two days.

Acting on the directions of Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Chief Secretary has instructed all district administrations and line departments to remain on maximum alert and ensure complete preparedness.

Teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other emergency agencies have been kept ready for deployment, while field-level officers have been directed to closely monitor river conditions, embankments and vulnerable locations.

The government has advised residents living in low-lying and flood-prone areas to remain vigilant and shift to safer places whenever advised by the local administration.

People have also been urged to avoid entering inundated areas or travelling by country boats and small vessels across the Brahmaputra and its tributaries, as river currents are expected to intensify.

A high alert has been sounded in Lakhimpur district following a sharp rise in the water level of the Ranganadi River after water was released from the upstream hydroelectric project.

The district administration has activated emergency response measures and deployed SDRF personnel to tackle any eventuality. Officials said water levels in the Dikrong and Singra rivers have also risen alarmingly.

An emergency control room has been activated, and residents requiring assistance have been asked to contact the district helpline at 6003186268.

The first wave of floods has already severely impacted Dhemaji district, where continuous rainfall over the past several days, coupled with heavy rain in adjoining Arunachal Pradesh, has caused rivers and streams to overflow.

According to official estimates, more than 20,000 people across 84 villages have been affected by the floods so far. The floods have also submerged nearly 920 hectares of agricultural land, causing extensive damage to standing crops.

The overflowing Jiadhal River has inundated villages including Bhoju Gaon, Dihiri, Salmari and Goroimari under Dhemaji Revenue Circle, creating shortages of food and drinking water for affected residents.

Similarly, the swollen Na-Nadi has flooded 32 villages in the Gogamukh Revenue Circle, including Chutakari, Bordoi-Bali, Chelajan, Lotia, Na-pam and Berbhonga, affecting more than 500 families.

Floodwaters have also flowed over the Gogamukh-Ghilamara PWD road at Champora, disrupting road communication between Bordoibam and Ghilamara for the past three days. Large tracts of cultivated land in Bilmukh and Konwarbari have also gone under water.

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