Is the Flood Situation in Assam and Other NE States Improving? Death Toll Now 48

Guwahati, June 5 (NationPress) The flood situation in Assam showed slight improvement on Thursday, while conditions also improved in other northeastern states, according to an official report. With two additional fatalities in Assam, the overall death toll across seven states in the region, excluding Sikkim, has reached 48.

As per disaster management officials from various northeastern states, out of the 48 deaths recorded during the current rainfall and flood period since May 29, Assam accounts for at least 21 fatalities, followed by 12 in Arunachal Pradesh, 6 in Meghalaya, 5 in Mizoram, 2 in Tripura, and 1 each in Nagaland and Manipur.

According to the report from the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), over 5.60 lakh individuals have been impacted by the floods across 19 districts. This is an increase from over 6.79 lakh affected people reported across 21 districts on Wednesday. The ASDMA report also indicated that more than 19,345 hectares of agricultural land has been submerged in 1,433 villages within these districts. Additionally, over 4,35,825 domestic animals have been impacted by the ongoing floods, the report noted. The mighty Brahmaputra river, along with six others—Burhidihing, Kopili, Barak, Dhaleswari, Katakhal, and Kushiyara—are flowing above the danger mark at several locations in Assam.

In Manipur, the flood scenario improved notably on Thursday as water levels receded in major rivers, coinciding with a decrease in monsoon rainfall intensity since Wednesday. Since the onset of monsoon rains on May 29, over 1.65 lakh individuals have been affected, with 35,242 houses and 115.59 hectares of farmland reported as damaged, primarily in the Imphal valley’s two districts—Imphal West and Imphal East. Two days prior, overflowing rivers such as Imphal, Kongba, and Nambul breached several embankments, worsening the situation in the valley, as noted by a disaster management official.

He mentioned that local district administrations, alongside volunteers, have rescued 4,097 people and established 78 relief camps for those displaced.

A spokesperson from the Defence reported that as of May 31, the Indian Army and Assam Rifles have been actively involved in 'Operation Jal Rahat-II', evacuating nearly 2,500 civilians to safety. This relief initiative has been conducted diligently across several flood-affected areas in Imphal East and Imphal West districts, providing essential support to the flood-impacted population, often without waiting for formal requests.

Significant rescues occurred in the Wangkhei locality of Imphal, where 778 individuals were saved, and at the government-operated Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS), where 750 people, including 15 patients needing urgent medical attention, were safely evacuated.

In Arunachal Pradesh, the flood conditions showed slight improvement on Thursday, although continuous rainfall still affects over 33,200 individuals across 24 out of 26 districts. While there were no new fatalities reported in the state over the past three days, at least 12 people, including women and children, have lost their lives due to landslides and floods caused by monsoon rains since last week in five districts—East Kameng, Lower Subansiri, Longding, Lohit, and Anjaw.

A total of 214 villages in various districts, home to over 33,200 residents, have been impacted by floods and landslides, while most major rivers and their tributaries are currently at high levels but remain below critical thresholds, according to a report from the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC).

In total, 481 houses have been damaged across the state, with reports of 432 domestic animals lost, including 335 poultry and 97 other animals so far. Meanwhile, the flood conditions have significantly improved in Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Nagaland.