Guwahati (Assam) [India], July 27 (HBTV): The death toll from the floods in Assam has risen to 68, according to the latest bulletin issued by the Disaster Reporting and Information Management System (DRIMS) on Monday.
According to reports from the state, floodwaters are receding across Upper Assam, and the focus has now shifted to relief operations, including the restoration of power supply.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said ministers from the state government will fan out across the state to coordinate rehabilitation operations. The state government's priority remains providing relief to people in the worst-affected districts, including Sivasagar, Jorhat and Golaghat.
Earlier, the Chief Minister said a coordinated exercise was underway to restore power in areas where electricity supply had been suspended.
"As Assam steadily recovers from the floods, power restoration efforts continue across affected districts. Following the precautionary suspension of electricity supply during the floods, Assam Power Distribution Co. Ltd teams have been carrying out comprehensive safety inspections while restoring power in a phased manner across Sivasagar, Jorhat, Charaideo, Dhubri, Bongaigaon & other affected areas. We remain committed to restoring essential services at the earliest and ensuring every affected community returns to normalcy," the Chief Minister said.
On Sunday, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal described the flood situation in Assam as "very serious" and said the Centre and the state government are working together to carry out relief and rescue operations for those affected.
Speaking to reporters, Sonowal said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been closely monitoring the situation since the floods began and has remained in constant touch with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
"The flood situation in Assam is very serious, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been engaged in gathering information about this situation from the very beginning. He has also spoken to the Assam Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, and has also gathered information about this situation. From the very beginning, the Central Government has been fully engaged in assisting the State Government and helping all our flood-affected people in this situation. Both the governments are jointly distributing relief material and carrying out rescue operations," Sonowal said.
He said the Prime Minister also spoke to him on Sunday morning, sought an update on the ground situation and assured the people of Assam of all possible assistance from the Centre.
"The Prime Minister called me this morning and inquired about the situation. I explained the details of what I personally saw yesterday, and the Prime Minister said, 'Tell the people of Assam that we stand with them and are ready to provide any assistance.' The state government and the central government will jointly take action on this issue. We will take whatever steps are necessary. As per the Prime Minister's instructions, a high-level inter-ministerial team has arrived and will be speaking with the affected people and assessing their situation," he said.
Expressing condolences to the families of those who lost their lives, Sonowal said the Centre and the Assam government were working together to support flood victims, while the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) continued rescue and relief operations.
"The flood situation in Assam is extremely critical. People have lost their homes, and many have lost their relatives. I pray for the souls of those who lost their lives and extend my deepest condolences to their families. The Central and Assam governments are working together to support those affected. The NDRF and SDRF are carrying out rescue operations and providing relief to flood victims," he added.
Meanwhile, Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia said the floods had displaced lakhs of people and caused extensive damage to agricultural land across the state.
"Lakhs of people are having to leave their homes due to floods. Lakhs of hectares of agricultural land have been damaged. Pets have also suffered. Overall, around 16 districts across Upper Assam are facing devastating floods. The Assam government is fully supporting those affected. Arrangements for their rehabilitation will be made later. Currently, more than 40 relief camps are being set up in Sivasagar alone. Around 20,000 people are in relief camps in Sivasagar alone," Saikia said.
As of July 25, more than 6.54 lakh people across 10 districts—Golaghat, Charaideo, Kamrup, Hojai, Dibrugarh, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Sonitpur, Kamrup (Metropolitan) and Nagaon—were affected by the floods. Sivasagar was the worst-hit district, with 2,90,777 people affected, followed by Charaideo (1,88,404) and Jorhat (1,31,948).
The report said 810 villages across 28 revenue circles remain inundated, with nearly 34,970.8 hectares of agricultural land submerged. It also noted that the Dikhou River in Sivasagar and the Dhansiri (South) River at Numaligarh continue to flow above the danger level, according to the Central Water Commission.
(ANI)