Guwahati: The third wave of flooding to hit Assam this year has affected about 70,000 people in five districts and it struck the state on Wednesday (October 12) after a week of nonstop rain.
East Siang district in neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh has also fallen under their control.
The Central Water Commission reported that the water levels of the Brahmaputra, Subansiri, Brurhidihing, Dhansiri, and Kopili in upper and central areas of Assam are rising while the Met department cautioned that there will be no relief from the rain until Friday. Floodwater levels in lower Assam are also rising in the major tributaries of the Brahmaputra, including the Puthimari, Pagladiya, Manas, Beki, Gaurang, and Sankosh.
The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said 69,750 people from 110 villages of 11 revenue circles across Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Lakhimpur and Nagaon have been affected. “We are keeping a close watch on the flood situation in the state,” read an ASDMA bulletin. It has sounded an alert in the said districts.
The Dhemaji district in Arunachal Pradesh’s East Siang district is the worst-affected with over 38,000 affected followed by 27,119 in Lakhimpur. Dhemaji has the most submerged villages (76), with Sissiborgaon and Jonai subdivisions suffering the worst damage. The highest rainfall totals in the past 25 years were reported on Monday and Tuesday at Pasighat, the district seat in Arunachal Pradesh, according to Tsangpa Tashi, the East Siang district disaster management officer.