Flood Fury Continues in Upper Assam; Rivers Flow Above Danger Level

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: Even as the flood situation in Upper Assam remains critical, the people of Sivasagar and Charaideo say they have never experienced the magnitude of floods witnessed this time. Flood waters from the Dikhou and Dorika rivers inundated several areas in the Sivasagar district, including Sivasagar town. Since last night, the national highway at Gaurisagar has also been submerged by flood waters. The flood situation is also grim in the Jorhat district.

Until Wednesday morning, the death toll in this flood season is 31.

Following the cloudbursts in neighbouring Nagaland on Sunday, July 19, the three districts of Sivasagar, Charaideo and Jorhat have been the worst-affected in the current wave of floods in the state. The people are not getting any respite from the nightmare on Sunday night, when the flood waters rose so suddenly that people couldn’t save any property or livestock; only their lives. Even the textbooks and exercise copies of students were washed away or completely damaged by floodwaters.

The flood waters submerged roads in Station Chariali, BG Road and other busy areas of Sivasagar town since last night and are still knee-deep, affecting vehicular movement. Following the inundation of the national highway at Gaurisagar, one side of the four-lane NH was closed to vehicles, and the flood situation in the area remains grim.

The level of floodwaters in Sonari town has gone down, and shopkeepers found that the goods in their shops have been damaged to a great extent, incurring heavy losses for them. However, many villages in Charaideo are still inundated, but the only positive news is that the water level is showing a decreasing trend. Four members of a family in Abhaypur were reported missing yesterday, and the bodies of three were discovered today. As per local reports, the three members of the family are Bidyut, Biplob and Bidisha Duarah. Another member, identified as Tutumoni Duarah, remains missing.

A female student in the Sonari area said that everything inside their house was completely damaged as the flood waters rose all of a sudden. They barely escaped with their lives and had to seek shelter in a neighbouring house.

On Wednesday, the flood situation in the Jorhat district continued to be grim. Several villages in Teok, near Jorhat, remain submerged. As per the morning report from CWC, the Disang River was flowing above the highest flood level at Nanglamoraghat in the Sivasagar district. The water level in the Disang River was 96.56 metres, against the highest flood level of 96.49 metres earlier.

The evening report from CWC stated that, in addition to the Disang River flowing above the danger level, three more rivers—Buridihing, Dikhou, and Dhansiri—are also flowing above the danger mark.

Meanwhile, the Brahmaputra River is flowing below the danger level at Dibrugarh, but it is maintaining a rising trend.

In light of the recent deaths and reports of missing persons, it is a matter of concern that the fate of many people in interior areas could not be assessed, as many areas remain cut off.

The Assam Assembly, regardless of party affiliation, today voiced deep concern over the unprecedented floods affecting three Upper Assam districts of Sivasagar, Jorhat, and Charaideo. The Leader of the Opposition, Wazed Ali Choudhury, requested the Speaker to adjourn the session for two days, if necessary, to allow Assembly members to assist those affected by the floods. 

Parliamentary Minister Pijush Hazarika said, “The deluge currently sweeping the three Upper Assam districts is natural havoc, not a natural flood. It has occurred because the water from the cloudburst in Nagaland has come downstream, sweeping through the three districts. The unexpected deluge has caught the administration off guard, as these three districts are not typically flood-prone. The administration is working in the three districts round-the-clock for relief and rescue operations. Four ministers and local MLAs are monitoring the rescue and relief operations. Already the chief minister is monitoring the entire operation from the spot.”

The telecommunication department has made a significant advancement by establishing an inter-circle roaming facility in the three districts. This enables the affected people, including those in remote areas, to use their mobile phones to reach the administration even if there is no network coverage. It helps the relief and rescue operations go smoothly.

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