Guwahati: Assam’s flood death toll climbed to 82 after two more fatalities were reported, even as the overall situation showed signs of easing with the number of affected people coming down to 1.92 lakh, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said on Saturday.
The two deaths were reported from the Nazira revenue circle in Sivasagar district and Sonari in Charaideo district, while no one was listed as missing, according to the bulletin.
Despite the marginal improvement, five districts — Sivasagar, Golaghat, Jorhat, Nagaon and Charaideo — are still reeling under floodwaters, with 17 revenue circles and 379 villages remaining inundated, as reported by Mint.
Charaideo Worst Affected
The ASDMA bulletin said 1,92,799 people were still affected by the floods, down from more than two lakh across eight districts on Thursday.
Charaideo remained the worst-affected district with 77,456 people hit, followed by Sivasagar with 63,492 and Jorhat with 34,067.
As many as 54 relief camps were sheltering 12,994 displaced people, while 26 relief distribution centres were supporting 5,384 people.
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), among others, continued relief and rescue operations in the affected areas.
The floods have also submerged 15,430 hectares of farmland, while damage to homes, roads and other infrastructure has been reported from the affected districts, the bulletin said.
CM To Give Update
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Saturday that he would hold a Facebook Live session in the evening to brief people on the flood situation and the government’s relief response.
“This evening, at around 8.30-9.00 PM, I will be addressing a Facebook Live to share updates and further plan of action to provide relief to people affected by #AssamFloods,” Sarma said in a post on X.
He added that the main points of his address would also be shared on X.
IMD Issues Rain Alert
The India Meteorological Department has forecast isolated heavy rain in Assam till August 5.
Ten districts — Baksa, Darrang, Nalbari, Goalpara, Sonitpur, Morigaon, Golaghat, Jorhat, Sibsagar and Cachar — face a risk of flash floods on Saturday.
Loan Relief Measures
The Assam government on July 30 announced a six-month moratorium on loan repayments for flood-hit people in Sivasagar, Charaideo, Golaghat and Jorhat. It also extended the repayment period on bank loans from one year to as much as seven years.
Sarma said small retail shop owners whose businesses were hit by the floods would get an additional ₹10,000 in their existing loan accounts, with no fresh collateral or mortgage required.
The government had also set up 112 relief camps in the four districts to house more than 75,000 people forced out by the floods.