Guwahati, July 20 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Monday said the state government has adopted a “whole-of-government” approach to tackle the worsening flood situation in Upper Assam, where incessant rainfall has pushed several rivers above the danger mark, inundating vast areas across multiple districts.
The Chief Minister said all government departments have been mobilised and senior officials have been instructed to remain on the ground until the flood situation returns to normal.
In a statement posted on X, Sarma said unprecedented rainfall in the region has caused the Jaji, Dikhow and Dichang rivers to swell beyond the danger level, triggering extensive flooding in Jorhat, Sivasagar, Charaideo, Dibrugarh and adjoining districts.
He said the state administration, in coordination with various departments, has intensified efforts to protect vulnerable areas and minimise damage to life and property.
According to the Chief Minister, teams have been deployed at critical locations to strengthen embankments and carry out emergency flood protection measures. Authorities are reinforcing weak stretches of embankments, placing additional layers of sandbags and undertaking controlled piping operations to prevent breaches and reduce the impact of rising water levels.
Sarma said safeguarding the lives and property of people remains the government’s highest priority and assured that relief and rehabilitation measures are being implemented on a war footing.
“The safety of people is our utmost priority. I am personally monitoring the situation to ensure that all required relief and rehabilitation efforts reach affected families without delay,” the Chief Minister said.
The state government has already deputed ministers and senior officials to flood-hit districts to supervise rescue operations, assess the ground situation and coordinate relief distribution with local administrations.
The flood situation in Upper Assam has deteriorated significantly over the past two days following heavy rainfall in the region and upstream catchment areas.
Rising river levels have inundated large tracts of agricultural land, disrupted road and rail connectivity and affected thousands of residents across several districts.
Rescue and relief operations involving the district administration, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Army and other agencies are continuing in the affected areas as authorities closely monitor the evolving situation.
Charaideo district remains the worst-affected district, with nearly 24,000 people impacted, followed by Dhemaji, where over 22,000 residents are affected.
Dibrugarh has reported more than 4,000 affected people, while floodwaters have also affected parts of Jorhat, Sivasagar, Tinsukia and Udalguri.
–IANS
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