Assam floods affect over 7 lakh people across 29 districts, death toll rises to 9

Credits: ANI

New Delhi: The Assam State Disaster Management Authority on Thursday (May 19, 2022) said that the floods in the state have affected more than seven lakh people across 29 districts leaving nine people dead. 

"Till now, 7,17,046 people across 29 districts have been affected due to the flood situation in the state. 9 people have died in floods and landslides so far," Assam State Disaster Management Authority informed. 

The officials informed that at present 1413 villages are underwater and Nagaon is the most affected district where 2.88 lakh people are reeling under the calamity. In Cachar nearly 1.2 lakh people and in Hojai more than 1.07 lakh people were affected, Assam State Disaster Management Authority informed.

Meanwhile, heart-wrenching videos emerged from the flood-hit state. Many parts of the states are reeling under flood. On Thursday, a part of the Kampur-Kathiatali connecting road in the Nagaon district got washed away in the morning in floods. 

In a peculiar incident, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Lumding Assembly, Sibu Misra was seen taking a piggyback ride to a boat, on the back of a flood rescue worker on Wednesday. He was in Hojai to review the flood situation in the area.

Assam Rifles, National Disaster Response Force and the Indian Army are carrying out rescue and relief operations in flood-hit areas of the state. Further, Assam Cabinet decided to introduce an emergency flight service between Silchar and Guwahati at the rate of Rs 3000, to mitigate the communication crisis due to floods and landslides in Dima Hasao and Barak Valley.In view of the flood situation, the Cachar district administration has closed all educational institutions (government and private) and non-essential private establishments for 48 hours (May 19th and 20th) in the district.

On May 18, Assam forest minister Parimal Suklabaidya said, "Every year Kaziranga National Park faces floods. We are completely prepared including food materials for the officials who are on duty in the park. Our boats are ready, too. Work on 40 islands done for animals to take shelter."

Additionally, the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has already suspended all trains through Lumding-Badarpur Hill Section to Barak Valley, Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur in view of the damages to railway tracks in multiple locations and restoration work is on in the damaged areas. 

(With agency inputs)