Assam Floods: 10 Dead in 24 Hours, Over 6.5 Lakh Affected Across 11 Districts

Intense floods across Assam claimed 10 lives in the 24 hours since Tuesday midnight. The latest casualties pushed the state's total flood death toll to 41, alongside one earlier fatality recorded in Guwahati.

The crisis escalated rapidly. The deluge affected 6.53 lakh people across 11 districts on Wednesday, rising sharply from 5.65 lakh people impacted across 12 districts on Tuesday, according to PTI.

Immediate respite remains unlikely. The India Meteorological Department issued an 'Orange Alert' for Wednesday and a 'Yellow Alert' for the next four days, warning of thunderstorms, lightning and heavy rains.

Worst Affected Districts

Sivasagar remains the worst-hit district. Nearly four lakh people are affected there, followed by Charaideo with 1.11 lakh impacted residents and Jorhat with over 97,000, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) informed.

Wednesday's 10 casualties occurred in Sivasagar (three), Jorhat (three), Charaideo (two), Karbi Anglong (one) and Dhemaji (one). This followed 21 deaths reported on Tuesday, comprising 13 in Sivasagar, five in Charaideo, two in Golaghat and one in Jorhat. Around 70 people remain missing.

Floodwaters have devastated wide areas. Across the state, 939 villages are currently inundated and 24,897.27 hectares of agricultural land have been damaged, ASDMA stated.

Rescue And Relief

The administration stepped up interventions. Across 10 districts, 487 relief camps and distribution centres are currently housing 24,418 displaced people. Multiple agencies, including the Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), SDRF and civil bodies, have rescued over 8,500 people from Charaideo, Golaghat, Jorhat, Karbi Anglong and Sivasagar.

Several rivers are swelling rapidly. The Buridihing, Dikhou, Dhansiri and Kushiyara rivers are flowing above danger levels, while the Disang river has breached its highest recorded flood level.

Chief Secretary Ravi Kota reviewed the situation on Wednesday, focusing on Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat and Golaghat, and requested enhanced central agency assistance. "He directed all line departments concerned to expedite repair and restoration works in flood-affected areas, while ensuring uninterrupted distribution of relief materials and essential services in relief camps and affected localities," an official release stated to PTI.