Watch: Assam flood situation worsens further, IAF rescues 13

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

Guwahati: Assam’s flood situation remained critical on Tuesday, with over 6.5 lakh people reeling from the second wave of flooding, as the Indian Air Force (IAF) rescued 13 stranded fishermen from the severely-hit Dibrugarh district, an official said.

The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) had requested the IAF to rescue the fishermen from Hatia Ali, a ‘char’ (sandbar) area in Dibrugarh, who were stranded in the floodwaters. “ASDMA requested IAF to airlift these 13 stranded fishermen. All the expenditure for airlifting the people will be borne by ASDMA”, the official said.

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Earlier on Sunday, the IAF had 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. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said on Monday that the situation in Dibrugarh was critical with the Brahmaputra flowing above the danger level and machines unable to drain out the water from the town.

The flood situation in the State turned critical since Sunday following incessant rainfall in Arunachal Pradesh and a population of over 6.50 lakh affected in 19 districts.

The death toll has risen to 45 in this year’s flood, storm and landslides The affected districts in the current wave are Kamrup, Golaghat, Majuli, Lakhimpur, Karimganj, Cachar, Dhemaji, Morigaon, Udalguri, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Nagaon, Sivasagar, Darrang, Nalbari, Sonitpur, Tamulpur, Biswanath and Jorhat have been inundated by flood waters.

Lakhimpur remained the worst-hit district with 1,43,983 people reeling under flood waters, followed by Dhemaji with 1,01,333 affected people and Cachar with 66,195 affected population. Altogether 8,142 displaced people were taking shelter in 72 relief camps, with another 64 relief distribution centres also functional.