Millions Affected By Floods In Assam, India

INDIA. Assam, Dispur. More than a million people are currently facing devastating flooding in Assam due to very heavy rainfall at the onset of the annual monsoon season.

The numbers paint a grim picture. The Assam State Disaster Management Authority issued a statement that 13,16,927 people, 2,404 villages, and 25 districts have been overwhelmed by floodwaters. Moreover, eight million hectares of farmland and crops have been damaged and there are also reports of 4 lives lost in the deluge. Breaches in the embankment on the river Brahmaputra have been recorded in several places throughout the state. The wildlife in Kaziranga National Park and R.G. Orang National Park is also suffering from heavy inundation.

Overcapacity relief camps present a threat of COVID-19 transmission. As per the Assam State Disaster Management Authority; 27,452 people from highly affected areas have been shifted to 27 relief camps and 40 relief centers that are now catering to the displaced masses. Managing the relief effort during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic poses both logistical and health challenges for the state authorities. Maintaining social distancing measures at relief centers and camps grows difficult as more people are being accommodated. As of 27 June, according to government data, the COVID-19 count rose to 7,492 after 327 more people tested positive for the virus. The numbers are increasing every day.

Many areas suffered flooding. The afflicted districts include Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Biswanath, Udalgiri, Chirang, Darrang, Nalbari, Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Kokrajhar, Dhubri, South Salmara, Goalpara, Kamrup (M), Kamrup, Morigaon, Hojai, Nagaon, Golaghat, Jorhat, Majuli, Sivasagar, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, and West Karbi Anglong.