Urban flood adds to Assam’s monsoon woes

Educational institutions in Guwahati closed till June 18

Urban flood has added to Assam’s monsoon woes this year.

Many localities in Guwahati, Assam’s principal city, and Nalbari town about 70 km west have been inundated due to incessant rainfall from June 13. The rains have also led to at least 12 cases of landslips in Guwahati, killing four people so far.

Such has been the situation that the local authorities have asked all educational institutions to remain shut in the urban areas till June 18.

According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), the “second wave” of floods has affected 18 districts. Three of them — Kamrup (Metro), Kamrup and Nalbari — have been tagged under “urban flood districts”.

Kamrup (Metro) largely comprises Guwahati.

The ASDMA’s update up to June 15 said the floods had affected 74,116 people and almost a third of them were from Guwahati. Eight relief camps, catering mostly to the residents of the city, currently housed 677 people.

While Guwahati has 22 water-logged localities or areas, Nalbari has nine. Rangia town in Kamrup district has seven wards under water. The level of water in these urban areas is up to chest level of a person of average height in some cases.