Guwahati, Assam: The relentless monsoon fury has wreaked havoc across Assam, leading to the tragic deaths of eight people and displacing over 78,000 residents across 17 districts. Continuous heavy rainfall, coupled with upstream water release from Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya, has triggered widespread flooding and landslides, plunging large parts of the state into disarray.
The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) confirmed that five fatalities were due to landslides, all reported from the Kamrup Metropolitan district. Floods claimed three more lives, with two in Golaghat and one in Lakhimpur. The situation remains critical, with three districts — Dhubri, Kokrajhar, and Bongaigaon — under a ‘red alert’, signifying a severe warning for residents, while eight others are on ‘orange alert’, urging preparedness.
Guwahati, the state capital, is battling severe waterlogging for the second consecutive day, with numerous localities submerged. Rescue personnel are working tirelessly to shift stranded residents to safer grounds as many have been forced to abandon their waterlogged homes, grappling with a complete breakdown of water and power supply. Urban Affairs Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah, along with senior officials, conducted an inspection of the city to assess the ground situation and review the government’s emergency response.
A poignant video from Rukminigaon, showing a deceased resident being carried for last rites on a makeshift raft of banana stems through knee-deep water, has drawn sharp criticism from citizens regarding the government’s flood control measures. The family reportedly had to arrange for this unusual means of transport to move the body to a dry spot before it could be taken to the cremation ground.
Lakhimpur district has emerged as the worst-hit, with over 41,600 people affected. Across the state, 1,224 flood-affected individuals have sought refuge in five relief camps, and 11 relief distribution centres are operational. Multiple agencies, including NDRF, SDRF, police, and fire and emergency services, have been deployed for extensive relief and rescue operations, evacuating people from the inundated areas.
The ASDMA bulletin highlighted significant damage to infrastructure, with embankments breached or affected in seven locations, alongside widespread destruction of houses, roads, and bridges. Urban floods have significantly impacted Kamrup, Dibrugarh, Darrang, Cachar, and Kamrup Metropolitan districts, affecting nearly 21,000 people, with Cachar district alone accounting for 12,300 of those affected.
Almost all major rivers in Assam are witnessing a rising trend in water levels. The Brahmaputra is flowing near the danger mark in Dibrugarh, while Ranganadi in Lakhimpur, Dhansiri in Numaligarh, Jia Bharali in Sonitpur, Kopili in Kampur, and Beki in Barpeta are also showing concerning water levels.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier acknowledged the “abnormal situation” faced by the state due to incessant downpours, attributing it to a massive cloud cover over the Northeast. The heavy rainfall in neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya has further aggravated the flood situation in Assam, particularly in Guwahati. In response to the crisis, special casual leave was announced for government employees in Kamrup and Kamrup Metropolitan districts for Saturday, and all educational institutions in these two districts also remained closed. Flight services at Guwahati airport were also disrupted on Friday due to the severe weather conditions.
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