Assam flood situation grim, Silchar submerged for sixth day

Nearly three lakh people of Silchar are in distress with an acute shortage of food, clean drinking water, and medicines, as the city remains submerged for the sixth day.

The flood situation in Assam remained grim on Saturday with the death count rising to 118 and Silchar town in Cachar district submerged for the sixth straight day, officials said.

Ten more people have died in the past 24 hours -- two each from Barpeta, Dhubri, Karimganj and Udalguri districts and one death each from Cachar and Morigaon -- due to floods and landslides.

The total population affected by the floods declined to 33.03 lakh in 28 districts as against the previous day’s figure of 45.34 lakh in 30 districts, a bulletin issued by the Assam State Management Disaster Authority (ASDMA) said.

The situation improved marginally in some districts, as rivers showed a receding trend though the Brahmaputra at Dhubri and Kopili in Nagaon were flowing above the danger mark, the officials said.

“The Cachar district administration is engaged in rescue operations in Silchar to evacuate marooned people to safety, with priority on shifting ailing persons to hospital,” said Deputy Commissioner Keerthi Jalli.

She further said that packets with food, drinking water bottles and other essentials are being airdropped in the town by Indian Air Force helicopters, and this will continue till the situation improves.

Two drones have also been deployed in Silchar for carrying out flood inundation mapping as well as to provide relief materials to the affected people.