Assam floods: Death toll rises to 52, over 21.13 lakh people affected, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma visits affected areas

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited the waterlogged areas in Assam on Friday to assess the flood situation in the state. Around 21.13 lakh people have been affected across 29 districts, and the death toll has risen to 52.

The chief minister inspected the inundated areas and interacted with the flood-affected victims in Dibrugarh. He asserted that the situation had improved, with water levels going down. “However, areas where embankments have been breached continue to be impacted by the floods,” said Biswa Sarma, reported by The Indian Express.

Sarma also mentioned that smaller equipment would be needed to clean the drains in the Dibrugarh area. He said there was also encroachment, which would be taken care of after the water resides. 

At least six people, including two children, drowned in the last 24 hours, according to officials of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), reported ANI. At least 11,20,165 animals have also been affected by the floods, as mentioned in the report.

The administration has set up approximately 515 relief camps and distribution centres for more than 3.86 lakh people affected by the floods.

Assam Floods: animals at Kaziranga National Park killed

Increasing floodwaters have led to the death of 31 animals in the Kaziranga National Park, said the field director to ANI. At least 23 hog deer also drowned in flood waters, while seven more hog deer died under care, according to the reports of the park.

Morigaon remains the worst affected district, with around 55,000 people still recovering from the deluge. Other affected districts include Goalpara, Nagaon, Nalbari, Kamrup, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Charaideo, Hojai, Karimganj, Sivasagar, and Bongaigaon, according to an ANI report.

“The flood situation in Assam's Morigaon district is still grim as more than 55,000 people have been affected by the deluge. Thousands of villagers are now taking shelter on embankments and roads after the flood waters entered their homes," said an official of the Morigaon District Administration.

Chandini Devi, from the Bhuragaon area in Morigaon district, told ANI that her family has been living in a makeshift tent on the embankment for the last four days.

Dipen Deka, another flood-affected villager, said that this year's floods have submerged the area.

“Many people lost their valuable goods in this flood, and household articles were also damaged. We have been living in the floodwaters for the last four days. People are facing lots of problems,” Dipen Deka told ANI.

Assam Agriculture Minister Atul Bora also visited the flood-affected areas in Morigaon district on Thursday and interacted with the flood victims, reported the ANI.