Latest news with #Brahmaputra
Times of Oman
8 hours ago
- Climate
- Times of Oman
India: 12 dead, over 6.3 lakh affected as floods worsen across 21 districts in Assam
Morigaon (Assam): Following continuous rainfall and rising water levels of the Brahmaputra river, several families in Assam's Morigaon and Darrang districts have been displaced. Residents like Md Raham Ali and his family are now living in makeshift tents. According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), the flood has affected over 6.33 lakh people across 21 districts, while rescue and relief operations are underway. Speaking to ANI, Md Raham said, "We have lived here with my family members for the last three days. The flood waters entered our house. Many food items, such as paddy rice and other household goods, have been damaged. My house is now under water. We are now facing lots of problems here, including drinking water." Ali mentioned that although they are initially from the Darrang district, they are currently taking shelter near a highland in Morigaon. "Not only I, but 40 other families of Hiloikhunda village are also facing similar problems. Many food items, including paddy rice, have been damaged due to the flood. If rain continues, the situation will become more critical," he added. Several flood-affected families in Morigaon district have moved to nearby highlands to escape the rising waters. Lali Khatun, another resident affected by the floods, told ANI that her family couldn't save any food grains as flood waters rushed into their home. "We have been taking shelter here for the last 3 days. We are now facing a food crisis, drinking water problems," she said. Following continuous heavy rainfall, the Brahmaputra River has flooded numerous villages under the Mayong revenue circle in Morigaon district. According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), this year's floods have claimed 12 lives, with five more deaths attributed to landslides. On Tuesday alone, six more people, including two children, drowned in floodwaters. The ASDMA reported one death each in the Hailakandi, Sribhumi, Morigaon, Cachar, Sonitpur, and Tinsukia districts, while one person was reported missing in Cachar. It has affected over 6.33 lakh people across 21 districts in the state, including Hailakandi, Nagaon, Sribhumi, Kamrup, Hojai, Lakhimpur, Morigaon, Cachar, Golaghat, Dibrugarh, Barpeta, Biswanath, Sonitpur, Dhemaji, Majuli, Karbi Anglong West, Darrang, Sivasagar, Tinsukia, Dima-Hasao, and Jorhat. Currently, 1506 villages under 69 revenue circles are submerged, with 14,739.33 hectares of crop area inundated. Sribhumi district is the worst affected, with 2,31,536 people impacted, followed by Nagaon (99,819), Cachar (89,344), Hailakandi (78,038), and Lakhimpur (43,651), as per ASDMA. Over 2.57 lakh people are sheltering in 511 relief camps and distribution centres across flood-hit areas. Additionally, 494,132 domestic animals have also been affected in the ongoing crisis, and floodwaters washed away 151 animals on Tuesday.
Time of India
19 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
B'putra water flow not dependent on China: Himanta busts Pak scare narrative
1 2 Guwahati: After India decisively moved away from the outdated Indus Waters Treaty , Pakistan is now spinning a new scare narrative — what if China stops Brahmaputra water to India? Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma 's response, backed by researchers, dismantles this myth saying the Brahmaputra grows in India and not shrinks. "Let's dismantle this myth — not with fear, but with facts and national clarity," Sarma wrote on X reminding Pakistan that "Brahmaputra is not a river India depends on upstream — it is a rain-fed Indian river system, strengthened after entering Indian territory." Sarma further wrote on X that China contributes only about 30–35% of the Brahmaputra's total flow, mostly through glacial melt and limited Tibetan rainfall, while remaining 65–70% is generated within India, thanks to torrential monsoon rainfall in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, and Meghalaya. Sarma listed the major tributaries like Subansiri, Lohit, Kameng, Manas, Dhansiri, Jia-Bharali, Kopili which feed Brahmaputra river inside India in addition to the inflows from the Khasi, Garo, and Jaintia Hills via rivers such as Krishnai, Digaru, and Kulsi. Sarma said if China turns off the tap, which he says is unlikely, it may actually help India mitigate the annual floods in Assam, which displace lakhs and destroy livelihoods every year. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Xu hướng tủ lạnh 2025: Chọn lựa thông minh với giá cả hợp lý LocalPlan Đọc thêm Undo Sarma pointed out that at the India-China border at Tuting in Arunachal Pradesh's Upper Siang district, the flow is about 2,000 to 3,000 m³/s which swells to 15,000–20,000 m³/s in Assam plains and swells during the monsoon. "Meanwhile, Pakistan — which has exploited 74 years of preferential water access under the Indus Waters Treaty — now panics as India rightfully reclaims its sovereign rights," Sarma added. Researcher Nilanjan Ghosh, who is also the vice-president at Development Studies and senior director at Observer Research Foundation at Kolkata centre, backing Sarma's fierce response to Pakistan, replied that conclusive evidence were provided that Chinese interventions will have negligible or almost no effect to India but "unfortunately, over the last decade, nobody listened to us, despite that I wrote on this on so many forums. " Ghosh cited a scientific paper published in International Journal of Water Resources Development, which he co-authored with Sayanangshu Modak, a human-environment geographer and a scholar of water governance, that the Yarlung Tsangpo's (the main stem of the Brahmaputra system in Tibet) "contribution to the Brahmaputra flow is not even 30-35%, but in the range of 15-20% at most." Modak is also a doctoral researcher at the University of Arizona at Tucson. "Unfortunately, over the last decade, nobody listened to us, despite that I wrote on this on so many forums," Ghosh wrote on X, appreciating Sarma for recognising these facts. Ghosh cited another article, "How data deficiency is hindering hydro-diplomacy between China and India" published on Mongabay last Feb, which he co-authored with Modak where they pointed out that the discharge of the Yarlung Tsangpo, measured at Nuxia in Tibet, is 31.2 billion cubic meters (BCM) annually, swelling to an estimated 135.9 BCM as it passes through the Great Bend and exits China, the rain-rich stretch of the river where China plans to harness hydropower. "However, when compared with the annual discharge of approximately 526 BCM at Pandu in Guwahati, India, and 606 BCM at Bahadurabad in Bangladesh, the data begins to unravel. This dramatic surge isn't driven by glacial melt but by the sheer force of the monsoon on the south side of the Himalayan crestline which extends predominantly to Medog County through a moisture corridor along the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon," they wrote in the article. The Brahamputra river system originates in the Angsi Glacier in Tibet and flows to the Bay of Bengal, covering a distance of 2,880 km. The river starts as Yarlung Tsangpo for 1,625 km before entering India where it flows for 918 km — first as the Siang, then the Dihang, before transforming into the Brahmaputra. Its final 337-km stretch before entering the sea is in Bangladesh where it is named as Jamuna, merging with the Ganga.
Time of India
a day ago
- Climate
- Time of India
8 more die in NE floods & landslides, toll rises to 44
Guwahati: At least eight more deaths due to floods and landlsides have been reported in the northeast in the last 24 hours, even as the situation in Assam further deteriorated on Tuesday, with the number of affected people rising from 5.15 lakh reported on Monday to over 6.33 lakh by Tuesday evening. The death toll from floods and landslides in the northeast since last Friday has reached 44 with the fresh casualties. In Assam, officials confirmed single casualties in Hailakandi, Sribhumi, Morigaon, Cachar, Sonitpur and Tinsukia districts within 24 hours. Additionally, one death occurred in Manipur, and a labourer perished in a wall collapse in Arunachal Pradesh's Anjaw district. Prime Minister Narendra Modi contacted Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday morning regarding the situation caused by continuous monsoon rainfall. Sarma wrote on X: "I briefed him on how continuous rainfall in Assam and adjoining states has led to flooding and impacted many lives. I also apprised him of the relief operation undertaken by the state government. The Hon'ble PM expressed concern and assured full support from the Central Government for our relief and rehabilitation efforts. Grateful for his guidance and unwavering support to the people of Assam." According to the Central Water Commission report, the Brahmaputra exceeded danger levels at Neamatighat, Tezpur, while its tributaries Burhidihing and Kopili also surpassed danger marks on Tuesday morning. Twenty-one districts in Assam remain affected, with 2.31 lakh people hit in Sribhumi followed by Nagaon with 1 lakh and Cachar with 89,000 affected individuals. Approximately 1,500 villages are impacted, with over 14,000 hectares of cropland submerged. The ASDMA report indicates about 40,000 people in relief camps. In the Barak Valley, the Barak river alongside Rukni, Dhaleswari and Kushiyara exceeded danger levels. CM Himanta visited Cachar district on Tuesday to evaluate the situation amidst widespread flooding. Sarma highlighted concerns about wetland depletion. In Guwahati, authorities demolished the Institute of Cooperative Management (ICM) on Tuesday to clear the Silsakoo Beel area for developing a water reservoir. This project aims to address urban flooding by restoring the wetland's water retention capacity. Housing minister Jayanta Mallabaruah and senior officials supervised the eviction. In Manipur, govt reports at 7 pm on Tuesday showed flood-affected numbers increased from 56,516 to over 1.08 lakh within 24 hours. Officials reported nine landslides and approximately 1,000 evacuations in the past day. The IMD forecasts heavy to very heavy rainfall in isolated areas of Assam, with heavy rainfall expected in isolated places across Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram & Tripura on Wednesday, as normal to excessive rainfall continues across northeastern states.
United News of India
a day ago
- Business
- United News of India
Assam CM demolishes Pak narrative on Brahmaputra river
New Delhi, June 3 (UNI) After the nuclear blackmail during Operation Sindoor, Pakistan has resorted to a new threat asking what if China Stops Brahmaputra water to India. The narrative was, however, demolished by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma before it could gain currency. In a response to Pakistan's new scare narrative, the Assam Chief Minister tweeted 'After India decisively moved away from the outdated Indus Waters Treaty, Pakistan is now spinning another manufactured threat: What if China stops the Brahmaputra's water to India ?' 'Let's dismantle this myth — not with fear, but with facts and national clarity,' the Chief Minister said. 'Brahmaputra : A river that grows in India — not shrinks. China contributes only 30–35 percent of the Brahmaputra's total flow, mostly through glacial melt and limited Tibetan rainfall. The remaining 65–70 percent is generated within India, thanks to torrential monsoon rainfall in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland and Meghalaya and major tributaries like Subansiri, Lohit, Kameng, Manas, Dhansiri, Jia-Bharali, Kopili," he said. He said additional inflows are from the Khasi, Garo, and Jaintia Hills via rivers such as Krishnai, Digaru, and Kulsi. The Chief Minister said the Brahmaputra is not a river India depends on upstream, it is a rain-fed Indian river system, strengthened after entering Indian territory. The Truth that Pakistan should know is that even if China were to reduce water flow (unlikely as China has never threatened or indicated in any official forum), it may actually help India mitigate the annual floods in Assam which displace lakhs and destroy livelihoods every year. Meanwhile, Pakistan, which has exploited 74 years of preferential water access under the Indus Waters Treaty, now panics as India rightfully reclaims its sovereign rights. The Chief Minister said Brahmaputra is not controlled by a single source. 'It is powered by our geography, our monsoon and our civilizational resilience.' UNI RB SSP
The Hindu
a day ago
- Business
- The Hindu
After Indus Waters Treaty abeyance, Pakistan floating threat narrative of 'what if China stops Brahmaputra flow': Himanta
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday (June 3, 2025) said that after India put the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) in abeyance, Pakistan is weaving a new "manufactured threat" narrative of what will happen if China stops Brahmaputra's flow into the country. He clarified that though China has not announced any such move, but even if it happens, it would in fact help mitigate the annual Assam floods. He said that most of the Brahmaputra's flow is generated due to downpour in northeast India while glacial melt and limited Tibetan rainfall contribute to only 30-35 per cent of the river's water flow. In an X post titled ''What If China Stops Brahmaputra Water to India? A Response to Pakistan's New Scare Narrative'', he said, ''After India decisively moved away from the outdated Indus Waters Treaty, Pakistan is now spinning another manufactured threat: What if China stops the Brahmaputra's water to India?" ''Let's dismantle this myth -- not with fear, but with facts and national clarity," he added. Mr. Sarma pointed out that even if China were to ''reduce water flow (unlikely as China has never threatened or indicated in any official forum), it may actually help India mitigate the annual floods in Assam, which displace lakhs and destroy livelihoods every year''. ''Meanwhile, Pakistan, which has exploited 74 years of preferential water access under the Indus Water Treaty, now panics as India rightfully reclaims its sovereign rights,'' he said. Mr. Sarma claimed that Brahmaputra is a river that grows in India and does not shrink. He pointed out that China contributes only 30-35% of the Brahmaputra's total flow — mostly through glacial melt and limited Tibetan rainfall. The remaining 65-70% is ''generated within India, thanks to the torrential monsoon rainfall in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, and Meghalaya''. Major tributaries like Subansiri, Lohit, Kameng, Manas, Dhansiri, Jia-Bharali, Kopili also contribute to it while additional inflow comes in from the Khasi, Garo, and Jaintia Hills via rivers such as Krishnai, Digaru, and Kulsi, Sarma said. "At the India-China border (Tuting), the flow of the river is approximately 2,000-3,000 m³/s while in the plains of Assam like Guwahati, the flow swells to 15,000-20,000 m³/s during monsoon," he added. The Brahmaputra is not a river India depends on upstream — it is a rain-fed Indian river system, strengthened after entering Indian territory, Sarma said. ''Brahmaputra is not controlled by a single source — it is powered by our geography, our monsoon, and our civilisational resilience,'' he added.
