Picture Credit: Flood like situation in Tinsukia District ( ANI/Twitter)
Monsoons in Assam come with a cataclysmic gush. Every year Assam, Bihar and many North-Eastern states face the threat of floods and landslides. This year as well, early monsoonal deluge has halted life in many regions of Assam. Ranging from natural reasons like debris deposited due to earthquakes and landslides, bank erosion to man-made ones like dams and encroachments, the Assam floods continue to claim life and property.
The deluge in Assam has caused the Brahmaputra river to overflow beyond its danger mark at Neamatighat, Dhubri and Tezpur. Overflowing tributaries and streams of the river have also led to the flooding of catchment and low-lying areas in the state. Severest effects of the flood are experienced in the Dhemaji district, followed by Tinsukia, Majuli and Dibrugarh. The worst-hit town being Dumdum in the Tinsukia district, where people were seen frantically evacuating their submerged homes and moving towards higher regions with their essentials and cattle. In Dibrugarh, ten wards were overwhelmed by severe water-logging. In total 16 districts of Assam have faced the wrath of the rising waters and the death toll was recorded at 16, with over 2.53 lakh people having said to be affected directly by the floods. The recent death was reported in Dibrugarh by the daily flood bulletin of Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA).
The floods have caused severe blows to the roads and infrastructure, including the damage caused to a bridge on the way to Baghjan (Tinsukia). The district authorities have sprung into action, having set up nearly 142 relief camps giiving shelter to about 18,000 people. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams are tirelessly carrying out rescue operations since Thursday in Jyotinagar region of the Tinsukia district. Earlier in May, the Assam government had invoked civil responsibility and asked the Deputy Commissioners to reach out to the school and college teachers who are not actively partaking in the COVID-19 mitigation activities, to assist in the rescue operations. The floods have damaged around 21,572 hectares of agricultural land. In the current scenario the Deputy Commissioners are ordered by the Chief Minister to ensure the provision of essential relief materials to the rescue camps.
Apart from the loss of human life and the damage to the material property, it was reported from Morigaon that the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary is bearing chronic repercussions of the flood as about 80 percent of its area has been swamped, causing the mass exodus of many animals including the one-horned Indian rhinos, form the sanctuary area to nearby highlands. Meanwhile, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted heavy vrains in most parts of Assam and Meghalaya till June 30.
