Assam's flood fury: Death toll rises to 17, 6.5 L affected, 7 rivers above danger mark

Guwahati, June 4: The flood situation in Assam remained critical on Wednesday as continuous rainfall led to rising water levels and fresh inundation across several parts of the state.

With six more deaths reported on Tuesday, the toll from the first wave of floods this year climbed to 17 as of Wednesday morning.

The fatalities were reported from Hailakandi, Sribhumi, Morigaon, Cachar, Sonitpur and Tinsukia districts.

According to a bulletin issued by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) on Tuesday night, nearly 6.5 lakh people across 1,506 villages in 21 districts have been affected by the floods.

“Heavy rain has been lashing several districts in lower Assam since early morning. Many areas in Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Nalbari, Goalpara and Baksa have been affected,” an ASDMA official said.

Sribhumi is the worst-hit district, with 2,31,536 people affected, followed by Nagaon with 99,819 and Cachar with 89,344.

A total of 223 relief camps are currently operational, sheltering 39,746 displaced persons. In addition, 288 relief distribution centres have been set up to provide aid to affected communities.

The situation has worsened with the rising levels of major rivers in the state.

Seven rivers, including the Brahmaputra, were reported to be flowing above the danger mark. Notably, the Katakhal River has overtopped its highest flood level at Matizuri in Hailakandi district.

Meanwhile, the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Guwahati has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated locations across the state.

Districts such as Dhubri, South Salmara-Mankachar, Goalpara and Kokrajhar are also likely to witness thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds reaching speeds of 30–40 kmph.

Road, railway, and ferry services have been disrupted in various parts of the state due to the ongoing deluge.

PTI