Receding Assam Floods Leave Trail of Ruin as CM Sarma Tours Ravaged Districts, Amit Shah Promises Central Aid

Our Bureau

Guwahati/Bokakhat: Floodwaters in Sivasagar, Charaideo and Jorhat are receding, but the agony of the people continues as all they find on returning to their homes are muck and total devastation of their belongings. Some people have nothing left but the clothes on their backs.

The water level of the Dorika River in Sivasagar is on a decreasing trend, but floodwaters are still in places like Station Chariali, BG Road, etc., and commercial establishments in busy areas in Sivasagar town are still shuttered. Reports of missing persons continue to pour in. According to Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, 70 to 80 people are still missing in flood-affected districts. Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah called up the CM and took stock of the flood situation, assuring that an inter-ministerial central team will come to Assam in a day or two to assess the flood situation and examine the assistance required from the central government for relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction measures.

A lady in Simaluguri gave an idea of the situation there to reporters, saying that everything inside her home has been destroyed, including Pat (Assam silk) apparel bought for her daughter's upcoming wedding, which was inside a wardrobe. She said, "This flood was a horrible experience. We barely escaped with our lives when floodwaters rose all of a sudden. All our furniture, clothes, utensils and other belongings are now destroyed. We now have nothing to wear except the clothes we were in when we rushed out of our house. Our dreams for our daughter's wedding have been shattered, as all the wedding apparel is damaged."

A girl in Rajapool of Nazira said, "The water rose to such a level that only a foot or so remained for the entire house to be submerged. When the floodwaters rose all of a sudden, we wanted to go out in our car, but it got stranded due to the high level of the water. Flooding has damaged two of our other cars. I somehow managed to salvage my certificates."

Another youth from an area near Sivasagar town said, "My mother is ill, and I came into Sivasagar town to buy medicines for her, but all pharmacies are closed due to flooding. Our village has been inundated for the past four days, and there's no electricity. As a result, we have no drinking water, and the district administration has not provided us with any. It is our earnest request that the local administration at least provide us with drinking water at this critical time."

Meanwhile, it is reported that one Poonaram Das has died in the floods in Teok in the Jorhat district today.

Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma today visited several flood-affected areas of Golaghat district to assess the extent of damage and review ongoing rescue and relief operations. He also visited a number of relief camps in the district, interacted with flood-affected people who were sheltering there and reviewed the relief and rehabilitation measures being undertaken.

During his visit, the Chief Minister told the media, "There are still 70 to 80 people missing, and it is my assumption that the number of casualties will increase. The situation deteriorated as water suddenly flowed from Nagaland into Assam following the cloudbursts there. Our geography is such that excess water will flow from upstream areas in Nagaland to the plains of Assam. Even when it rains heavily in Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya, water flows into Assam. With the development in the hills, like new roads and industries, etc., the difficulties of the people in Assam have increased."

Meanwhile, the evening report by the Central Water Commission (CWC) stated that the Buridihing, Dikhou, Disang and Dhansiri are still flowing above the danger level.

Our Bokakhat Correspondent adds: Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday visited the flood-affected areas of Numaligarh under the Bokakhat sub-division to assess the flood situation. During his visit, he met inmates at the flood relief camp set up at Numaligarh Higher Secondary School and interacted with displaced families to understand their hardships.

The chief minister assured the people that the state government would hold discussions with the central government to work towards a permanent solution to the recurring flood problem. He emphasised the need to construct roads in flood-prone areas at higher elevations to minimize disruption during floods.

The CM told the media that the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, had telephoned him on Thursday to inquire about the flood situation in Assam. According to the Chief Minister, the Union Home Minister informed him that the central government would send a team to assess the damage caused by the floods. He added that the Centre has assured additional assistance if required to tackle the flood situation.

The first wave of floods this year has severely affected areas such as Dhodang, No. 1 Parghat, and Rowduar in the Bokakhat sub-division.

Responding to concerns over the possible release of water by NEEPCO, the chief minister said that if the corporation releases water again, the government will immediately take the necessary measures to safeguard the affected population. He expressed concern that the riverside areas of Golaghat district could face further damage and directed the administration to remain alert while urging residents to stay vigilant.

The residents also highlighted that the only agricultural embankment protecting the riverine areas of West Dhodang was breached during the current floods, causing extensive damage to farmland and exposing the area to severe erosion by the Dhansiri River. Although repeated appeals had been made to the Water Resources Department to strengthen the embankment with geo-bags, the villagers said that they had yet to receive any tangible benefit. This year, while the panchayat had undertaken limited repair work with its own funds, the swollen Dhansiri river washed away large sections of the embankment.

In addition, the floodwaters completely damaged the dilapidated Public Works Department road connecting Dhodang Budhbari with the National Highway, making transportation extremely difficult for locals. The situation has been further aggravated by the installation of a divider by the four-lane highway authority at the junction with the National Highway, which forces commuters to travel nearly three kilometres to make a U-turn. This has caused significant inconvenience, especially to students, patients, pregnant women and emergency travellers.

Highlighting these issues, the locals submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister through local MLA Atul Bora, seeking immediate intervention and resolution. The Chief Minister assured them that the departments concerned would be directed to address the issues promptly.

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