Floods cut off over 35,000 people in 3 districts of Assam and Arunachal
GUWAHATI: In what may be called third wave of floods, more than 35,000 people of at least 46 villages have been inundated in Assam’s three districts — Dhemaji, Dibrugarh and Lakhimpur following the incessant rains in Assam and frontier state of Arunachal Pradesh.
A high alert has been issued for the low-lying areas of East Siang district in Arunachal Pradesh with the Siang river in spate, following incessant rains over the last few days.
The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said that six relief distribution centres were opened to provide relief materials to the affected people, including 8,378 children.
The authorities, keeping a close watch on the deteriorating flood situation, said that an embankment at Naoboicha in Lakhimpur has been damaged, while roads in Lakhimpur and Dhemaji have been badly affected.
Pointing out that there have been reports of erosion at many places of Bongaigaon, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Morigaon, and Sonitpur districts, the authorities in its flood bulletin said that the Brahmaputra river was flowing above the danger level at Nematighat in Jorhat district.
The Regional Meteorological Centre in Guwahati, predicted that rain with thunderstorms and lightning is likely to occur in various places in 21 districts during the next two days.
It is significant that the state had witnessed one of the worst deluges earlier this year, with floods and landslides claiming 199 lives so far.
Union home minister Amit Shah, during a meeting on flood management in Guwahati on Friday, said that a meeting with the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Power and the state government would soon be convened to look at measures to include more flood moderation storage reservoirs along with hydro projects in Assam to mitigate floods in the state.
Mr Shah who said that Centre was committed to make Assam flood-free in next five years recently said that the state government should come up with a concrete action plan to protect and rejuvenate the wetlands in the state and increase their holding capacity so that they can also act as storage reservoirs during monsoon.
Pointing out that heavy rainfall in Arunachal Pradesh has also added to the flood situation in catchment areas of Assam, authorities in Arunachal Pradesh are also keeping a close watch on the flood situation.
East Siang deputy commissioner Tayi Taggu has appealed to the people living in the flood-hit areas to refrain from venturing into the river. He, however, asked people not to panic as the water resources and disaster management departments are keeping a close watch on the situation. “Any impending danger would be informed to the people in advance,” he said.
