Is the flood situation worsening in Assam as death toll rises to 36 in Northeast?

Guwahati, June 2 (NationPress) The flood situation in Assam has worsened significantly, while conditions have slightly improved in other regions of the Northeast. The cumulative death toll due to floods, landslides, and heavy rainfall has tragically reached 36 across six northeastern states.

Following the reporting of two additional fatalities from Assam and Arunachal Pradesh on Monday, the total toll from this recent bout of rainfall and flooding, which began on May 29, has risen to 36.

As per disaster management officials, 11 of these deaths occurred in Assam, 10 in Arunachal Pradesh, 6 each in Meghalaya and Mizoram, 2 in Tripura, and 1 in Nagaland. The fatalities have mostly been attributed to incidents of drowning, landslides, and severe waterlogging across these states, with no casualties reported from Manipur. In Assam, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) has indicated that the flood situation has become increasingly dire, impacting over 5.15 lakh individuals across 22 districts.

The ASDMA's report highlights that more than 12,610.27 hectares of agricultural land have been inundated across 1,254 villages. Furthermore, around 1,85,389 individuals, including women and children, have sought refuge in 479 relief camps and distribution centers.

The death toll in Arunachal Pradesh has also increased, with one more fatality reported from Lohit district, bringing the total to 10, all due to landslides and flooding as relentless monsoon rains persist.

According to State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) officials, a total of 938 people across 156 villages in 23 districts have been affected by the ongoing floods and heavy rainfall.

The body of Guptajit Bharali, who was swept away by the flooded Sukha Nallah in Upper Digaru, has been recovered downstream in Lasa Pani within Lohit district. Governor K T Parnaik has urged residents to remain vigilant, especially those in high-risk and landslide-prone areas.

The Governor has called for district administrations to maintain a watchful eye and has emphasized the necessity for nighttime movement restrictions in hazardous zones, along with proactive communication to keep the public informed and safe.

As several rivers and their tributaries continue to flow above danger levels, reports of flood-like conditions and landslides have emerged from West Kameng, Kamle, Lower and Upper Subansiri, Papum Pare, Dibang Valley, Lower Dibang Valley, Lohit, Changlang, Kra Daadi, Kurung Kumey, and Longding districts within the state.

In Manipur, over 19,810 individuals have been affected by flooding caused by overflowing rivers and breaches in embankments, particularly in the Imphal East and Imphal West districts.

Disaster management officials report that more than 3,365 homes have been damaged as a result of relentless rainfall and flooding over the past four days.

Thus far, 31 relief camps have been established, primarily in the Imphal East district, to alleviate the suffering of those displaced from their homes.

The officials also noted that 47 landslides have occurred in various regions of the state during the past four days, obstructing multiple roadways.

Many areas within the state capital, Imphal, and parts of Imphal East have been inundated following the overflow of a river that breached embankments, flooding locations such as Khurai, Heingang, and Checkon.

Floodwaters have infiltrated numerous government and private facilities, including health institutions and the All India Radio Imphal complex, as well as the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS), prompting the relocation of many patients to other medical centers.

Fortunately, the flood situation has seen slight improvements in Tripura, Mizoram, and Nagaland.