Assam Flood Crisis Deepens: Death Toll Climbs to 31 as Over 5.6 Lakh People Battle Rising Waters

Assam's flood situation turned even more alarming on Wednesday after 21 more people lost their lives in rain-related incidents, taking this year's flood death toll to 31. Continuous rainfall across several districts has worsened flooding, inundating hundreds of villages, damaging crops and infrastructure, and forcing thousands of families to seek shelter in relief camps.

According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), more than 5.64 lakh people have been affected across 12 districts, including Biswanath, Charaideo, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Jorhat, Kamrup, Kamrup Metropolitan, Karbi Anglong, Nagaon, Sivasagar and Tinsukia.

Sivasagar has emerged as the worst-hit district, with nearly 3.6 lakh people affected. Jorhat follows with around 88,000 people, while Charaideo has over 72,500 residents battling floodwaters.

The latest fatalities include 13 people in Sivasagar, among them four women and two children. Five more deaths were reported from Charaideo, two from Golaghat, and one woman lost her life in Jorhat.

The flood situation has deteriorated sharply over the past 24 hours. On Monday night, around 3.63 lakh people were affected, but relentless rainfall has pushed the number significantly higher.

Several rivers continue to flow above danger levels. The Brahmaputra remains above the danger mark at Neamatighat, while its tributaries Buridihing and Dhansiri are also flowing above safe levels. Meanwhile, the Dikhou and Disang rivers have crossed the highest flood level, raising concerns over further inundation.

Rescue operations have intensified across the affected districts. Teams from the Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Fire & Emergency Services, police, and civil administration have rescued more than 6,000 people from flood-hit areas in Charaideo, Golaghat, Jorhat, and Sivasagar.

Authorities are currently operating 273 relief camps and relief distribution centres across 10 districts, where 12,284 displaced people have taken shelter. Relief materials, including rice, pulses, salt, and mustard oil, are being supplied to affected families.

The disaster has submerged 872 villages and damaged more than 24,210 hectares of agricultural land, dealing a severe blow to farmers during the monsoon season. Floodwaters have also damaged roads, embankments, bridges, and other public infrastructure, disrupting transport and connectivity in several regions.

The crisis has extended beyond people, with nearly 1.85 lakh domestic animals and poultry affected across the state.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Assam, forecasting thunderstorms and heavy rainfall at isolated places over the next four days, indicating that the flood situation may remain critical in the coming days.