Assam flood toll climbs to 87 nearly 1.3 lakh people still affected

The death toll from this year's floods in Assam has risen to 87 after two more fatalities were reported from Sivasagar district, even as floodwaters continued to recede across most inundated areas, providing some relief to affected residents, officials said on Tuesday.
According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), nearly 1.28 lakh people remain affected by the floods across six districts. Sivasagar is the worst-hit district, with over 55,000 people impacted, followed by Charaideo with nearly 35,000 affected and Jorhat with more than 20,000 residents facing the impact of the deluge.The two latest flood-related deaths were reported from Sivasagar in the last 24 hours, taking the overall flood toll in the state this year to 87.
Although overnight rainfall was recorded in several flood-hit districts of Upper Assam, officials said water levels have continued to recede in submerged villages, easing the situation in many affected areas.
The ASDMA said the district administrations are operating 55 relief camps and relief distribution centres across five districts, where around 11,250 displaced people are currently taking shelter. Medical and veterinary teams, along with other emergency response agencies, have been deployed to carry out relief and rehabilitation work in the affected regions.The floods have also caused extensive damage to agriculture and livestock. According to the ASDMA, around 14,230 hectares of cropland remain submerged. Nearly 55,000 animals have been washed away, while another 35,000 have been affected by the flooding.
Infrastructure damage has also been reported from several districts, including breaches in embankments and damage to roads, schools, houses and other public property,according to agency reports.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of fresh spells of extremely heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms over parts of Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya during the next few days, raising concerns for neighbouring districts in Assam.The weather office has issued orange and red alerts for several districts of Meghalaya, including East Khasi Hills, West Jaintia Hills and East Jaintia Hills, as well as Papumpare, Kurung Kumey, East Kameng, East Siang, Lohit and Changlang districts in Arunachal Pradesh. The IMD said the weather system could affect adjoining districts of Assam.A yellow alert has also been issued for most parts of Nagaland, with possible impact on Assam's Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat and Golaghat districts.The ASDMA further stated that the Dhansiri River at Numaligarh continues to flow above the danger level, and authorities are closely monitoring the situation amid forecasts of more rainfall.