Assam floods: Over 6.71 lakh affected; IAF rescues 13 stranded fishermen

Guwahati: Assam's flood situation remained critical on Tuesday with over 6.71 lakh people affected in 20 districts in the second wave of flooding this year, as the Indian Air Force (IAF) rescued 13 stranded fishermen from the severely-hit Dibrugarh district, an official said.

At least 13 major rivers, including the Brahmaputra, are flowing above the danger level at different places, with alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall in several districts, an official bulletin said.

The stranded fishermen were rescued from Hatia Ali, a 'char' (sandbar) area in Dibrugarh, at the request of Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA).

"ASDMA requested IAF to airlift these 13 stranded fishermen. All the expenditure for airlifting the people will be borne by ASDMA," the official said.

The IAF, sharing pictures related to the rescue operation on X, wrote: "#IAF rescued 13 marooned survivors from a small island in the flooded Brahmaputra, north of Dibrugarh in Assam. On 2 Jul 24, after a sunrise takeoff, a Mi-17 IV helicopter from AFS Mohanbari flew in challenging weather conditions and undertook rescue ops from a marshy piece of land."

The coordinated efforts of the pilot and flight gunner ensured prompt and safe boarding of the 13 survivors, it said. The IAF added that emergency first aid was provided by the force after the rescue.

On Sunday, the IAF rescued 8 State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel and a revenue official from Jonai in Dhemaji district when they were stranded in another sandbar area during relief operations.

Dibrugarh district has been severely affected in the current wave with the major town in Upper Assam inundated for the sixth consecutive day.

An ASDMA bulletin said that 6,71,167 people were reeling under flood waters in 67 revenue circles in 20 districts - Biswanath, Cachar, Charaideo, Darrang, Chirang, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Jorhat, Kamrup, Lakhimpur, Sivasagar, Sonitpur, Morigaon, Nagaon, Majuli, Karimganj, Tamulpur, Tinsukia and Nalbari.

With one fatality confirmed in the last 24 hours, the death toll in this year's flood, storm and landslide rose to 46.

The Brahmaputra is flowing over the red mark at Neamatighat (Jorhat), Tezpur (Sonitpur), Guwahati (Kamrup) and Dhubri (Dhubri).

Other major rivers that have breached the danger level are Subansiri at Badatighat (Lakhimpur), Burhidihing at Chenimari (Dibrugarh), Dikhou at Sivasagar, Disang at Nanglamuraghat (Sivasagar), Dhansiri at Numakigarh (Golaghat), Jia-Bharali at NT Road Crossing (Sonitpur), Kopili at Kampur (Nagaon), Puthimari at NH Road Crossing (Kamrup), Beki at Barpeta Road Bridge, Dhaleswari at (Hailakandi), Kushiyara at Karimganj, and Barak river at BP Ghat.

The ASDMA bulletin said the Regional Meteorological Centre at Borjhar, Guwahati, has issued an alert for likely heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places over Goalpara, Bongaigaon, Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao.

Altogether 8,142 people are taking shelter in 72 relief camps in different affected districts. For relief and rescue operations, NDRF teams have been deployed at Cachar, Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Golaghat, Majuli and Lakhimpur.

SDRF, fire and emergency services personnel, police forces and AAPDA Mitra Volunteers of ASDMA have been helping the district administration in flood-affected areas.

Indian Army personnel have also been pressed into relief operations in Golaghat district. A total of 614 SDRF personnel, including 159 deep divers, with 295 boats have also been deployed in 54 locations.

Breach of embankments in Golaghat, Jorhat, Nagaon and Majuli have been reported in the last 24 hours. Reports of damage to other infrastructure, like roads, have also been received, the ASDMA bulletin added.

In the famed Kaziranga National Park, 95 out of the 233 forest camps have been inundated with the Golaghat district administration issuing prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) restricting the movement of vehicular traffic on NH-37 (New NH-715) and vehicle speed to between 20 to 40 km/hour.