Now Reading: Assam flood death toll hits 100, nearly 1.4 lakh affected
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Assam flood death toll hits 100, nearly 1.4 lakh affected
Assam's flood death toll reached 100 as two more fatalities were reported from Golaghat and Karbi Anglong districts, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority said on Sunday. Nearly 1.4 lakh people remain…
The Story in Brief
Assam's flood death toll reached 100 as two more fatalities were reported from Golaghat and Karbi Anglong districts, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority said on Sunday. Nearly 1.4 lakh people remain affected across seven districts, with 456 villages inundated and more than 11,900 hectares of crops damaged. The Dhansiri river at Golaghat and Numaligarh and the Kushiyara at Sribhumi are flowing above danger levels. The government is running 125 relief camps and distribution centres, housing about 49,000 people.
Most of the 99 earlier deaths, and 94% of the 7.21 lakh affected, were concentrated in Sivasagar, Charaideo and Jorhat districts, which were hit by one of Assam's worst localised floods since the 1950s, The Hindu reports. Heavy rainfall from July 18-22 triggered landslides and flash floods that inundated more than 80% of Sivasagar and Charaideo. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma admitted the administration in those districts could not mount rescue operations for seven days because the area had no history of major floods.
The Indian Opinion
The floods in eastern Assam's Sivasagar and Charaideo were of an intensity not seen in generations. Yet the narrative that the administration was wholly unprepared overlooks the fact that even in flood-prone Silchar, the 2022 deluge overwhelmed a district that should have known better. The real test now is not blame but response: whether the 125 relief camps can stay open for weeks, and whether the railway line snapped for a fortnight, still not fully restored, will be rebuilt before the next bout of rain. How many more warnings does Assam need before it builds for a wetter future? Every family that lost its home this year is one too many.
Sources (2): thehindu.com, telanganatoday.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
