GUWAHATI: The death toll in Assam’s ongoing flood crisis has climbed to 47 after six more fatalities were reported, according to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA).Heavy rainfall has also caused waterlogging in several parts of Guwahati, disrupting normal life in the city.Earlier on Thursday, ASDMA said 10 people, including four children, had died in flood-related incidents over the previous 24 hours. “Three people each died in Sivasagar and Jorhat districts, two in Charaideo district, and one each in Dhemaji and Karbi Anglong districts. So far, 41 people have lost their lives in the state due to floods,” ASDMA said in its flood report issued earlier. It added that six people — three men and three women — remain missing.The flood situation in Assam remains severe, with over 6.53 lakh people affected across 11 districts in the latest spell of flooding. The affected districts include Karbi Anglong, Golaghat, Charaideo, Kamrup, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Nagaon, Dhemaji, Hojai and Kamrup (Metro).Sivasagar is the worst-affected district, with 3,92,195 people impacted, followed by Charaideo (1,10,755), Jorhat (97,690), Golaghat (25,591) and Dibrugarh (13,390). Around 939 villages under 40 revenue circles remain submerged.Amid the worsening situation, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited a relief camp in Dergaon on Thursday and termed the situation “serious”, warning that the death toll could increase further.Sarma attributed the flooding in several districts to a cloudburst in neighbouring Nagaland. “I estimate that the casualty figure will rise further. This entire situation arose because of a cloudburst in Nagaland. Water from the floodwaters severely affected our four districts. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also called me just now and informed me that an inter-ministerial team will be sent to Assam today or tomorrow. I believe both governments will stand with the people during this time of grief,” Sarma said.Following incessant rainfall, water levels in the Brahmaputra and several of its tributaries continue to rise at various locations across Assam.(With agency inputs)
