Guwahati, June 19: Torrential rain continues to wreak havoc in the northeastern states of Assam and Sikkim, as multiple landslides and floods have caused extensive damage. In Sikkim’s West Sikkim district, nearly 100 houses were damaged, and bridges were swept away by massive landslides triggered by the heavy rainfall.
The College Khola Valley witnessed flash floods, with Simphok being severely impacted by the destruction of a major bridge. The Dentam Sub Division in Gyalshing district also suffered significant damage to houses and roads.
Agricultural land and livestock have been adversely affected by the landslides. The mudslides resulted in the washing away of a suspension bridge over College Khola at Lower Sapung. Authorities have provided immediate relief to the affected residents, and restoration work on roads and bridges has commenced.
In Assam, the flood situation remains critical, with incessant rainfall leading to the inundation of new areas across the state. Although the number of affected people has reduced to approximately 33,500 in 12 districts, as reported by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), the situation remains dire.
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The districts affected by floods include Cachar, Darrang, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Hojai, Lakhimpur, Nagaon, Nalbari, Sonitpur, Tinsukia, and Udalguri.
Lakhimpur is the worst-hit district, with over 25,200 people suffering from the flood, followed by Dibrugarh and Tinsukia. The administration has set up one relief camp and 16 relief distribution centers in three districts to provide assistance.
Currently, 142 villages are submerged, and approximately 1,510.98 hectares of crop areas have been damaged across Assam. Erosion has also been a major concern, affecting several districts.
Landslides caused by heavy rainfall have been reported in Dima Hasao and Karimganj. Floodwaters have damaged embankments, roads, bridges, and other crucial infrastructure in multiple districts, including Sonitpur, Lakhimpur, Cachar, Dhemaji, Goalpara, Nagaon, Udalguri, Chirang, Dibrugarh, Kamrup, Karbi Anglong, Karimganj, Bongaigaon, Majuli, Morigaon, Sivasagar, and South Salmara.
The water levels in the Brahmaputra River at Neamatighat, as well as its tributaries Puthimari at NH Road Crossing and Kopili at Kampur, have surpassed the danger marks.
The India Meteorological Department has issued a ‘red’ alert, predicting ‘very heavy’ to ‘extremely heavy’ rainfall across several districts of Assam for the next five days, further exacerbating the flood situation.
The state governments of Assam and Sikkim, along with relevant authorities, continue to work diligently to provide relief to the affected residents and undertake necessary measures to mitigate the damages caused by the relentless rains.
