INDIA. MUMBAI: Although there was a little let-up in Pre-Monsoon Showers, the floods continue to cause heavy damage, with four more casualties reported, with the death toll rising to 14 on Friday in Assam, as per the bulletin issued by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) on Saturday.
The Kopili river at Kanpur and Dharamtul in Nagaon district, the Dis and river at Nanglamurughat in Sivasagar district, and the Brahmaputra at Neamatighat in Jorhat district, and Kushiyara river in Sylhet, is flowing above danger level the Central Water Commission(CWC) bulleting stated on Saturday.
Seven lakh people in 29 out of 33 districts have been affected by floods and landslides. Over 86,000 people have taken shelter in 343 relief camps, while 411 relief distribution centers are operational. In addition, over 21,884 stranded people have been evacuated with the help of NDRF, SDRF, and volunteers, the ASDMA bulletin stated.
The state government of Assam has allocated an additional Rs 2 crore to the districts of Cachar and Dima Hasao for the distribution of gratuitous relief to the affected people. ISRO specialists are already conducting rapid damage assessments in Dima Hasao using drones and satellite data to assess post-disaster needs. The bulletin added that steps are being taken to restore broken communication links and keep a close eye on the overall situation.
However, the situation in Guwahati, the capital of Assam, is more or less normal activities are going on smoothly, Assam local activist Abhijit Deb said.
The pre-monsoon showers have also affected neighboring Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Manipur. Speaking to the Transcontinental Times, Rinku Khumukcham, Editor, Imphal Times (Manipur), said that the heavy rains lashed the hilly areas of Manipur, and there have been floods, causing severe damage to the houses, although no casualties were reported. Quoting experts, he said, “Due to massive deforestation, heavy deluge is anticipated in June and July.”
The Indian Air Force (IAF) crew has been working in marginal weather conditions in the hilly terrain since May 15. The IAF personnel are working closely with NDRF and the Govt of Assam to assist people in the affected areas, and the operation is ongoing, Wing Commander Ratnakar Singh said while speaking to the Transcontinental Times.
The IAF’s Mi-17 helicopters had evacuated 119 passengers stranded at Ditokchera railway station. Since then, IAF has deployed one An-32 transport aircraft, two Mi-17 helicopters, one Chinook helicopter, and one ALH Dhruv to provide almost 30 tonnes of essential supplies in the heavily affected Haflong area and to evacuate 454 civilians. Additionally, IAF has positioned 20 personnel of NDRF in the area for flood relief efforts, Wing Commander Ratnakar Singh added.
Meanwhile, Reliance Jio has announced a free four-day unlimited plan for its customers in the state’s five most severely flooded and landslide-affected districts.
According to a company statement, the plan includes unlimited free calls to all networks and data services up to 1.5 GB per day and 100 SMS per day to its customers in Dima Hasao, Karbi Anglong East, Karbi Anglong West, Hojai, and Cachar district.
According to Reliance Jio, the exact unique plan has been provided to four other North-eastern states – Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh – affected by thunderstorms, heavy rain, flooding, and landslides.
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