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New Indian Express
3 days ago
- Climate
- New Indian Express
Assam govt announces Rs 4 lakh aid for families of Guwahati landslide victims
GUWAHATI: The Assam government on Sunday announced ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each to families of the five persons killed in landslides in the city in the last few days. Department of Housing and Urban Affairs (DoHUA) minister Jayanta Malla Baruah, announcing the financial aid, said there have been "logistical challenges" in tackling the waterlogging problem of Guwahati city and corrective steps are being taken. He was talking to reporters after chairing a review meeting with the Kamrup Metropolitan district administration, Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) and other concerned departments to assess the ongoing relief measures and enhance preparedness for artificial flooding caused by incessant rainfall in Guwahati. The meeting focused on immediate response protocols, distribution of essential relief materials and streamlining coordination among departments to ensure timely assistance to flood-affected citizens. The city had witnessed massive waterlogging since the early hours of Friday due to heavy rains, with main localities still inundated. Landslides in the city and outskirts had claimed five lives during the period. Baruah said the meeting decided to grant an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of the five victims. He said ensuring timely delivery of relief materials is a top priority for the department and items such as mosquito repellents, candles, sanitary napkins and baby food are being prioritised for quick distribution in areas hit by waterlogging and power outages. "Relief materials will now be pre-positioned in elevated spots across flood-prone zones so that they can reach affected families within 2 to 3 hours of flooding," he added.
India Today
4 days ago
- Climate
- India Today
Assam floods: 8 dead, over 78,000 affected in 17 districts due to heavy rain
Eight persons have been killed in floods and landslides in Assam as incessant rainfall caused massive inundation in 17 districts, affecting over 78,000 people, officials said on districts in the western part of the state remained on 'red alert' and eight more were on 'orange alert', as per Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) data, while rainwaters from upstream areas of Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya aggravated the flood situation in the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said landslides claimed five lives, all in Kamrup Metropolitan district. Massive waterlogging was reported in Guwahati with many localities remaining submerged for the second day with rescue personnel shifting stranded people to safer places as residents abandoned their waterlogged houses with no water or power Affairs Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah and top officials inspected the situation in different parts of the city to assess the prevailing situation and review the government's emergency response of a person being taken for the last rites on a banana stem shaft from his residence amidst knee-deep waters from Rukminigaon area of the city led to sharp criticism among the citizens of the government's flood control local resident had reportedly died in his house and the family had to arrange for a shaft to take the body out to a dry place for it to be taken to the cremation claimed three lives, including two in Golaghat and one in Lakhimpur.A total of 17 districts were affected by the floods, including five by 'urban floods'.The flood-hit districts were Dhemaji, South Salmara, Lakhimpur, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Darrang, Nagaon, Karbi Anglong, Kamrup, Biswanath, Tinsukia and Karbi Anglong than 58,000 people have been affected, while 1,224 flood-hit people have taken shelter in five relief camps. Another 11 relief distribution centres are also is the worst-hit district with more than 41,600 people agencies, including NDRF, SDRF, police and fire and emergency services personnel, were pressed into relief and rescue operations with people evacuated to safety from flood-affected were breached or affected in seven places, besides damage caused to infrastructure, including houses, roads and bridges in different parts, the ASDMA bulletin 'urban flood' affected districts are Kamrup, Dibrugarh, Darrang, Cachar and Kamrup Metropolitan, the bulletin 21,000 people have been hit by urban floods, with the highest number of affected people in Cachar district at 12, all the major rivers across the state were on a 'rising' water level trend, as per ASDMA Brahmaputra was flowing near the danger level in Dibrugarh, Ranganadi in Lakhimpur, Dhansiri in Numaligarh, Jia Bharali in Sonitpur, Kopili in Kampur and Beki in per the latest RMC data, Dhubri, Kokrajhar and Bongaigaon have 'red alert' issued, while the districts of South Salmara Mankachar, Goalpara, Chirang, Baksa, Barpeta, Bajali, Dima Hasao and Cachar are on 'orange alert'.'Red alert' implies 'warning/take action', and the districts with such a warning may witness heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places, with extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places, and squally winds with speed reaching 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 'orange alert' asks people to be 'alert/be prepared to take action' for thunderstorm and lightning accompanied with gusty wind reaching wind speed 30 to 40 kmph with heavy to very heavy rain very likely at isolated Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said on Friday that the state was facing an 'abnormal situation' due to incessant downpours caused by massive cloud cover over several parts of the rainfall has also been recorded in Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya, aggravating the situation in Assam, especially in Guwahati, which has been hit by massive waterlogging, he casual leave was announced for government employees of Kamrup and Kamrup Metropolitan districts on Saturday, who have to commute some distance to reach their institutions have also been closed in the two districts on services at Guwahati airport were affected on Friday due to heavy rain and gusty winds, the officials Watch IN THIS STORY#Assam
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Business Standard
4 days ago
- Climate
- Business Standard
Five dead in Assam landslides as heavy rain triggers floods in districts
Five persons were killed in landslides in Assam in the last 24 hours as incessant rain led to floods in six districts, affecting over 10,000 people, an official bulletin said on Saturday. Three districts in the western part of the state remained on 'red alert' and eight more were on 'orange alert', as per Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) data, while rainwaters from upstream areas in Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya aggravated the flood situation in the state. The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said all five deaths have been reported from the Kamrup Metropolitan district. Urban Affairs Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah had on Friday said that three members of a family, a mother-daughter duo and a niece, were killed in a landslide in Bonda area on the outskirts of Guwahati. He had said that several agencies were working to provide relief to affected people as massive waterlogging was reported from most localities in the city on Friday. Baruah inspected the situation in different parts of the city during the day to assess the prevailing situation and review the government's emergency response measures. Video of a person being taken for the last rites on a bamboo shaft from his residence amidst knee-deep waters from Rukminigaon area of the city led to sharp criticism among the citizens of the government's flood control measures. The local resident had reportedly died in his house and the family had to arrange for a bamboo shaft to take the body out to a dry place for it to be taken to the cremation ground. Several localities of the city remained submerged for the second day with different rescue agencies taking people to safer places as residents abandoned their waterlogged houses with no water or power supply. The ASDMA bulletin said floods have been reported in six districts, with five revenue circles of Kamrup Metropolitan, Kamrup and Cachar reeling under 'urban floods'. Floods have also been reported in Dhemaji, Lakhimpur and Golaghat, impacting eight revenue circles in these three districts. A total of 10,150 people have been affected by 'urban floods', with two camps and one relief distribution centre being opened. Nearly 2,000 people have been affected by floods in the other three districts, though no camps or relief distribution centres are operational in the flood-hit urban areas till now. One ring 'bandh' (a type of dyke) has been breached under the North Lakhimpur revenue circle. NDRF and SDRF personnel have been evacuating people in different affected parts, the bulletin added. Almost all the major rivers across the state were on a 'rising' water level trend, as per ASDMA information. The Brahmaputra was flowing near the danger level in Dibrugarh, Ranganadi in Lakhimpur, Dhansiri in Numaligarh, Jia Bharali in Sonitpur, Kopili in Kampur and Beki in Barpeta. As per the latest RMC data, Dhubri, Kokrajhar and Bongaigaon have 'red alert' issued, while the districts of South Salmara Mankachar, Goalpara, Chirang, Baksa, Barpeta, Bajali, Dima Hasao and Cachar are on 'orange alert'. 'Red alert' implies 'warning/take action', and the districts with such a warning may witness heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places, with extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places, and squally winds with speed reaching 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph. An 'orange alert' asks people to be 'alert/be prepared to take action' for thunderstorm and lightning accompanied with gusty wind reaching wind speed 30 to 40 kmph with heavy to very heavy rain very likely at isolated places. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said on Friday that the state was facing an 'abnormal situation' due to incessant downpours caused by massive cloud cover over several parts of the Northeast. Heavy rainfall has also been recorded in Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya, aggravating the situation in Assam, especially in Guwahati, which has been hit by massive waterlogging, he said. A special casual leave was announced for government employees of Kamrup and Kamrup Metropolitan districts on Saturday, who have to commute some distance to reach their offices. Educational institutions have also been closed in the two districts on Saturday. Flight services at Guwahati airport were affected on Friday due to heavy rain and gusty winds, the officials said.
