Assam Floods: 35 Dead, Over 100 Missing; CM Fears Casualty Rise Amid Devastation

Guwahati: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the ongoing wave of flood has resulted in the death of 35 people while over 100 people are missing. He expressed apprehension that the casualty figure will rise further.

Addressing the press during his visit to flood-hit Charaideo, Sarma said the damage and its devastation is more than one can imagine. “ There are several areas where the rescue team has not been able to reach.”

Sarma it would take at least a week to assess the full extent of the devastation. The casualties this time are high, and it will take around a week to estimate the overall loss and damage.

The Chief Minister added that even now, the Indian Army, NDRF and SDRF are unable to reach many areas. “Thousands of people remain stranded in floodwaters, and several patients are trapped.”

According to chief minister Charaideo, Sivasagar, Golaghat and Jorhat were the worst-hit districts. The reach and extent of flood have not remained confined to traditional areas.

Sarma said that floods were triggered due to cloudburst in Nagaland's Mon district. “The chief secretary of Nagaland informed Assam's chief secretary."

Assam’s Agriculture and Irrigation Minister Pijush Hazarika, on Wednesday, told the Legislative Assembly that flooding this time with an unprecedented deluge.

Hazarika said the floodwaters that inundated districts such as Jorhat, Sivasagar, Charaideo and Nazira did not follow the Brahmaputra's usual course but entered from multiple directions, making the disaster unlike the floods the state routinely prepares for.

The discussion witnessed sharp exchanges between the treasury and Opposition benches after Congress and All-India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) legislators questioned the government's preparedness and flood management strategy.

AIUDF MLA Badruddin Ajmal alleged, “We must stop the sand mafia if we want to control floods. The government and the ministers concerned should take strict action."

Ajmal outside the house said, “We have sought two recesses of the assembly session so that MLAs could fan out and be with the flood marooned people in their respective constituencies.”