Assam battles rising waters: Flood toll hits 97, over 1.68 lakh still stranded

Assam's battle against the monsoon fury continued on Friday as swollen rivers and relentless floodwaters kept large parts of the state under distress, pushing the death toll to 97 after two more fatalities were reported. More than 1.68 lakh people across 15 districts remained caught in the grip of the deluge, officials said.

The latest deaths were reported from Golaghat and Udalguri districts, adding to the growing toll from this year's devastating floods.

The floodwaters spread their impact across Golaghat, Sivasagar, Udalguri, Kamrup Metropolitan, Nagaon, Kamrup, Darrang, Sonitpur, Hojai, Lakhimpur, Biswanath, Jorhat, Charaideo, Karbi Anglong and Dhemaji districts.

Golaghat emerged as the worst-hit district, with nearly 54,000 people affected, followed by Sivasagar with around 49,000 and Jorhat with nearly 27,000 residents battling the aftermath of the rising waters.

As the crisis deepened, the number of affected people climbed from around 1.6 lakh across 14 districts earlier in the week. At present, 133 relief camps and distribution centres are providing shelter, food and essential support to nearly 45,000 displaced people.

The floods have also left a trail of destruction across the landscape, submerging more than 14,382 hectares of farmland and damaging embankments, roads, bridges and other critical infrastructure.

Amid the hardship, there was a sign of relief as railway connectivity through Sivasagar district was restored after nearly two weeks of disruption caused by flood damage to tracks.

The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) announced the reopening of the flood-hit Selenghat-Amguri-Simaluguri-Sivasagar Town section, allowing train services between Guwahati and Dibrugarh via Lumding and Sivasagar to resume in a limited manner.

"Glad to share that the flood-affected railway section... has been restored and made operational," Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, thanking railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and NFR authorities for reviving the crucial rail link connecting Upper Assam with the rest of the country.

NFR general manager Chetan Kumar Shrivastava inspected the affected railway sections and reviewed the condition of tracks, bridges and related infrastructure before services resumed.

However, authorities are proceeding cautiously. With several flood-affected residents, including children and livestock, still sheltering near railway tracks, NFR said only diesel locomotive-hauled trains would initially operate on the restored routes to ensure public safety.

Several passenger services, including the Nagaland Express, Guwahati-Ledo-Guwahati Intercity Express, Lumding-Tinsukia-Lumding DEMU and Tinsukia-Jorhat Town Passenger, have resumed through Moranhat. Long-distance trains will continue on diverted routes via North Lakhimpur-Rangapara-North Rangiya until normal conditions return.

Special trains are also being operated to maintain connectivity for passengers travelling to and from Upper Assam during the disruption.

As Assam navigates one of its most challenging flood spells of the year, rescue operations, relief efforts and restoration work continue against the backdrop of receding waters and a long road to recovery.

With PTI inputs