Assam reels under devastating floods, PM Modi dials Himanta

Guwahati, June 18 (PTI): Assam reeled under devastating floods caused by incessant rain, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking stock of the situation and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visiting several relief camps sheltering affected people on Saturday, officials said.

As many as 19 lakh people remained affected by the deluge in 28 districts. A total of 55 people have died due to floods and landslides in the state this year.

A boat carrying flood-affected people has capsized in Hojai district, leaving three children missing while 21 others have been rescued.

A group of 24 villagers were moving to safety from inundated Islampur village late on Friday night when the boat hit submerged a brick kiln and capsized in Raikota area.

Modi called up Sarma and enquired about the flood situation, while also assuring the chief minister of all possible help from the Centre.

“Earlier today, spoke to Assam CM and took stock of the situation due to floods in the state. Assured all possible support from the Centre. I pray for the safety and well-being of the people of Assam affected by flooding,” Modi tweeted.

Sarma, replying to the prime minister’s tweet, thanked him.

“Very kind of you to have called to take an update on the relief and rehabilitation work in flood affected areas of Assam. We are closely monitoring the situation and providing best help to people,” he tweeted.

The chief minister visited flood-affected Rangia in Kamrup district, and reviewed the situation with state BJP chief and local MLA Bhabesh Kalita. Sarma also visited relief camps at Fatima Convent School and Kolajal.

Speaking to reporters, Sarma said the district administration is ready to face any exigency.

“Officials concerned have been directed to ensure evacuation of people from vulnerable areas to relief camps. The Army is ready to provide assistance and the deputy commissioners have been asked to take help from the forces when required, while National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel were evacuating affected people to safer places,” he said.

Sarma assured the inmates of the relief camps that all necessary measures are being taken to assist them.

More than 1.08 lakh people are taking shelter in 373 relief camps across the state.

Landslides have been reported in Dima Hasao, Goalpara, Morigaon, Kamrup and Kamrup (Metropolitan) districts in the last 24 hours.

Meanwhile, a bulletin issued by the Central Water Commission (CWC) on Saturday said that Kopili River is flowing above “high flood level” at Kampur in Nagaon district.

Other rivers including Brahmaputra, Jia-Bharali, Puthimari, Manas, Beki, Barak and Kushiara were flowing above the danger level, the bulletin said.

A total of 2,930 villages have been affected by the floods, with 43,338 hectares of cropland under water and 410 animals getting washed away.

Boat carrying flood-affected people capsizes; three children missing

A boat carrying flood-affected people has capsized in Assam’s Hojai district, leaving three children missing while 21 others have been rescued, officials said on Saturday.

A group of 24 villagers were moving to safety from inundated Islampur village late on Friday night when the boat hit submerged a brick kiln and capsized in Raikota area, they said.

“Personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) rescued 21 people, while search operations are underway to trace the three missing children,” Hojai Deputy Commissioner Anupam Choudhury told PTI.

He urged people not to take a risk and venture out in the dark in inundated areas.

“If people want to move to safer places, they should contact the district administration. We will evacuate them in NDRF and SDRF boats,” he said.

Kopili River has inundated vast tracts of land and affected over 55,150 people in the district, which was also severely affected in the first wave of floods earlier this year.

A total of 29,745 people have taken shelter in 47 relief camps in the district.

According to a bulletin issued by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), another person was reported missing in a separate incident in Hojai on Friday.

In Sonitpur district, a person was reported missing when the boat in which four people were travelling capsized on Friday. Three of them were rescued while a search was underway to trace the missing person.

Assam is severely affected by floods with 18.95 lakh people suffering in 28 districts and 55 people dying due to the deluge and landslides in the state this year.