Upper Assam Flood Crisis: IAF Choppers Airdrop Relief as Rivers Cross Danger Mark

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: The flood situation in upper Assam, mainly in Sivasagar, Charaideo and Jorhat districts, is still critical. The administration used the services of IAF choppers to drop food items in the affected areas of Nazira. According to local sources, several bodies were recovered today. Many others are still missing.

Even as the entire stretch of the Brahmaputra is flowing below the danger mark in the evening, four other rivers – the Dikhou, Burhidihing, Disang and the Dhansiri – have been flowing above the danger mark. According to the evening bulletin of the CWC, the Disang broke its past record of highest water level today, flowing at 96.60 metres against the earlier highest level of 96.49 metres at Nonglamoraghat in the Sivasagar district.

The National Highway 715 was underwater this morning in Teok in the Jorhat district, and so are the nearby villages. Light vehicles found it difficult to cross the submerged stretch. The situation is still critical in the Sivasagar district, inundating areas that never experienced floods in the past.     

During his visit to the affected areas, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Keshab Mahanta said, “The government will pay an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the next of kin of each of those who died in the floods. The problem is severe, as the deluge affected areas that never experienced floods. To cap it all, this year’s flash flood leaves little time for the people to save their goods.”

Several wards of the Sonari are still under water. A local person alleged that there is no response from the other end when he dialled the emergency numbers given by the administration. The surging water washed away as many as four people in the Abhoipur area in the Charaideo district today, a local report said.

Another flood-affected man from Nazira said, “In my 55-year life, I never saw such a devastating deluge. The flood was so sudden, I couldn’t save anything.”

Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi appealed to the Chief Minister to offer a special flood package for the Sivasagar constituency. He also sought such packages in other flood-affected areas.

Meanwhile, speaking to the media, Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “The flood situation has been critical for the past two days. The situation relents a little today. I will visit Jorhat, Sivasagar and Charaideo tomorrow and assess the situation. Several cabinet ministers and officials have been in the flood-affected areas, extending assistance.”

On IAF choppers dropping food materials, the Chief Minister wrote on his X handle, “This morning, @IAF_MCC carried out three sorties, airdropping 627 kg of relief supplies to stranded families in Nazira. Our teams remain on the ground, reaching every flood-affected family with essential relief.”

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