Assam flood toll rises to 68 as over 5.2 lakh people remain affected

Heavy rains continued to leave a trail of destruction in Assam, even as the overall flood situation showed signs of improvement on Sunday. Two more people drowned in floodwaters in Charaideo district over the past 24 hours, taking this year's flood death toll in the state to 68.

According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), more than 5.24 lakh people remain affected across five districts — Charaideo, Golaghat, Jorhat, Nagaon and Sivasagar.

Charaideo remains the worst-affected district, with nearly 1.9 lakh people impacted by the floods. It is followed by Sivasagar, where more than 1.5 lakh people have been affected, and Jorhat, with around 1.4 lakh people facing the impact of the deluge.

The situation has improved compared with Saturday, when nearly 6.55 lakh people across six districts were affected by flooding.

Relief operations are continuing, with the state administration running 354 relief camps and aid distribution centres across four districts. These facilities are currently sheltering 37,724 displaced people.

Rescue efforts involving the Army, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Fire and Emergency Services, and the police have helped evacuate people from several parts of Upper Assam.

Despite the improvement, the floodwaters continue to affect large parts of the state. The ASDMA said 763 villages remain submerged, while floods have damaged more than 48,742 hectares of agricultural land.

The disaster has also caused extensive damage to embankments, roads, bridges and other public infrastructure in several districts.

Among the major rivers, the Dhansiri at Numaligarh continues to flow above the danger level, posing a risk to nearby areas.

The floods have also taken a heavy toll on livestock, with more than 88,000 domestic animals and poultry affected across the state, according to the ASDMA.

With PTI inputs