The flood situation in Assam is currently severe due to heavy rainfall across several parts of the state. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a ‘Red Alert’ for several districts of Assam, including Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa, Barpeta, and Bongaigaon in Lower Assam. The alert predicts “Heavy (7-11 cm in 24 hours) to Very Heavy (11-20 cm in 24 hours) with extremely heavy rainfall (over 20 cm in 24 hours)” for these districts.
In addition to the ‘Red Alert’ districts, other districts such as Dhubri, Kamrup, Kamrup Metropolitan, Nalbari, Dima Hasao, Cachar, Goalpara, and Karimganj are likely to experience “heavy to very heavy” rainfall during the same period.
The flood situation has affected a significant number of people, with over 33,400 individuals being impacted in various districts, including Cachar, Darrang, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Hojai, Lakhimpur, Nagaon, Nalbari, Sonitpur, Tinsukia, and Udalguri. Among the affected districts, Lakhimpur has been the worst hit, with over 25,200 people affected, followed by Dibrugarh and Tinsukia.
The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) has reported that 142 villages are currently submerged, and approximately 1,510.98 hectares of crop areas have been damaged across the state. Erosion has also been observed in several districts, including Biswanath, Bongaigaon, Dibrugarh, Kokrajhar, Lakhimpur, Majuli, Morigaon, Nagaon, Sivasagar, Sonitpur, South Salmara, and Udalguri.
Furthermore, incidents of landslides have been reported in Dima Hasao and Karimganj districts due to the heavy rainfall. The floodwaters have caused damage to infrastructure such as embankments, roads, bridges, and other structures in various districts, including Sonitpur, Lakhimpur, Cachar, Dhemaji, Goalpara, Nagaon, Udalguri, Chirang, Dibrugarh, Kamrup, Karbi Anglong, Karimganj, Bongaigaon, Majuli, Morigaon, Sivasagar, and South Salmara.
Water levels in the Brahmaputra River at Neamatighat and its tributaries, Puthimari at NH Road Crossing and Kopili at Kampur, have risen above the danger marks.
Given the severity of the situation, the ‘Red Alert’ signifies the need for immediate action, while the ‘Orange Alert’ indicates preparedness, and the ‘Yellow Alert’ advises vigilance and staying updated on the situation.
