“Communication has completely been cut off. Water is flowing over many highways. Many roads and paths have been blocked… People are fleeing their homes," said a relief worker.
Waquar Hasan | Clarion India
NEW DELHI — Around 28 districts of Assam have been reeling under the devastating floods that claimed dozens of lives and displaced 41 lakh people.
According to reports, 24 people have been killed in the last week while nine people have been reported have died in the 24 hours.
Shafiqul Islam, who is leading the relief work carried out by the Assam wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, told Clarion India that the state witnesses floods every year. But they have not seen such devastating floods before. The floods this time around have broken the records of the 2004 and 2007 floods in terms of devastation.
“Communication has completely been cut off. Water is flowing over many highways. Many roads and paths have been blocked… People are fleeing their homes. Their domestic animals are awash with floods. On the one hand, the people are not getting food to eat, on the other, animals are not getting their feed,” said Islam, who started carrying out relief works days ago.
They are working mainly in the lower Assam, the region worst affected by the floods. They take food to the stranded people and establish relief camps. They are still facing a shortage of food items, plastic sheds and medicines, said Islam.
According to the Central Water Commission, the Kopili, a major tributary of the Brahmaputra, is flowing in the “extreme flood stage” at Kampur in Nagaon district of central Assam. The water level at Kampur is 0.33 meters above its previous highest flood level of 61.79 metres. River Puthimari in lower Assam is also flowing in the “extreme flood stage” in the Nalbari district of lower Assam, with a rising trend of 0.01 metres above its previous highest flood level of 144.43 meters.
Islam said today (Monday), the rain has stopped which gave them a little bit of relief. The level of flood has slightly receded.
He alleged that the relief works carried out by the state government is extremely at a slow pace and insufficient. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has reprimanded the administration for failing to start relief work for the victims.
Talking to NDTV about the relief works, Assam’s Water Resources Minister Pijush Hazarika said, “Situation is very bad. We are trying hard to help the people. Temporary bridges are being built in flood-affected districts to reach to the people”.
Islam said the affected people are being rescued through boats. At some places, they closed themselves inside the home and went at the rooftop. Women and children were sent at another place.
According to The Times of India, 5,137 villages across the state have been affected. Barpeta is the worst-hit district with 12.76 lakh people marooned. Apart from Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura were also affected by the floods.
