Assam Floods: Shivraj Singh Chouhan Promises Central Aid as 48,000 Affected

The flood situation in Assam deteriorated on Wednesday, July 1. More than 48,000 people are reeling under the deluge across four districts, PTI reported.

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Minister Kiren Rijiju visited flood-affected areas in Dhemaji district. They assessed the damage caused by the rising waters and reviewed ongoing relief measures.

Chouhan spoke to reporters about the widespread destruction. "The crisis is big, and we have seen the devastation. Houses have been damaged, and roads have been washed away. The priority is how to bring back normalcy and rebuild people's daily life," Chouhan said.

Widespread Damage And Impact

Dhemaji bears the maximum brunt. Over 44,000 people are suffering there.

The daily flood report of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) informed that nearly 48,500 people are affected across the state. This marks an increase from the 47,000 people affected on Tuesday. The deluge has submerged parts of Biswanath, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh and Nalbari districts. Dibrugarh recorded almost 4,000 affected people, while Biswanath reported nearly 500.

Floodwaters have inundated 179 villages. The rising waters have damaged 2,117.34 hectares of crop area. Embankments, roads, bridges and other infrastructure have been damaged by flood waters in different districts of the state. The ASDMA informed that at least 82,883 domestic animals and poultry are affected.

The Brahmaputra river is flowing above the danger mark at Neamatighat. Only one person has died in this year's floods.

Relief And Rescue Operations

Rescue operations remain active. Personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) rescued 713 people in different parts of Dhemaji district.

The district administration is operating 13 relief camps and distribution centres. These facilities currently house 153 displaced people. Authorities distributed 290.95 quintals of rice, 51.23 quintals of dal, 15.35 quintals of salt and 1,535.49 litres of mustard oil over the last 24 hours.

Immediate relief work is funded by the existing SDRF money available with the state. The NDRF will provide adequate additional funds to both Assam and Arunachal Pradesh to manage the crisis.

Central Government Response

Leaders reviewed the damage. Chouhan, Rijiju and Assam Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Atul Bora surveyed the worst-affected areas of Dhemaji district from the air. The district shares a border with flood-ravaged Arunachal Pradesh.

Chouhan pledged support on behalf of the central government. "Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the central government stands firmly with the people of Assam in this challenging time and is committed to extending every possible support for relief, recovery and rebuilding," Chouhan said.

He announced that an interim report on the damage will be submitted to the Prime Minister. "Everything will be surveyed in detail. In the meantime, I will submit an interim report to the Prime Minister on the extent of damage here," he said. "The state government has shown urgency in handling the situation, leading to the rescue of many people. We are working on both short-term and long-term relief measures," the minister said.

The state also faces future weather threats. "It is predicted that 12 districts of Assam will be impacted by El Nino. So, we will have to think about that too. We have discussed that also," he said.