Update, 05 August 2016
Assam State Disaster Management Agency (ASDMA) reported on 04 August that the flood situation in the state has improved considerably. The numbers affected is now 285,095 in 10 districts, with 18,708 currently in relief 62 camps.
The districts still affected are: Golaghat, Bongaigaon, Jorhat, Dhemaji, Barpeta, Dhubri, Morigaon, Kokrajhar, Nagoan and Goalpara.
Original Report, 31 July 2016
The current wave of floods in Assam has now claimed 26 lives and affected 1.7 million people in the state. There are currently over 400 relief camps set up in the state, housing over 240,000 displaced by the flooding.
India’s Home Minister, Rajnath Singh, made an aerial tour of the floods, accompanied by Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday. He said:
“I had never imagined before coming here that the floods have wreaked such havoc in Assam”
“I had a detailed review of flood situation in Assam. The situation may be grim but state government is working on the ground. The Centre and state agencies are working hand in hand to make rescue and relief operations successful in flood affected areas of Assam. I also assured Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal of every possible help from the Centre in mitigating the flood situation in Assam.”
He said the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams are working on the ground. The NDRF along with the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and Army have saved more than 6,000 lives in Assam, he added.
According to local media, the Home Minister also called on government to find long-term solutions to tackle the recurring problem and expressed concern over embankments along the Brahmaputra and many of tributaries outliving their lifespan and efficacy to hold the fury of floods. “This issue (of embankments completing their lifespan) had come up during our discussions with the state government today,” the union home minister said.
There are around 700-km of embankments along the Brahmaputra River. Many were constructed in the 1950s, with a proposed lifespan of around 25 years.
Flood Summary
Locations
B - Golaghat
C - Morigaon
D - Barpeta
E - Jorhat
F - Biswanath
G - Sivsagar
Magnitude
Brahmaputra River - July 5 to July 6, 2016
India’s Central Water Commission (CWC) reported on 05 July that the Brahmaputra River is flowing close to or above danger levels in around 16 locations, including Goalpara and Tezpur.
Sankosh at Golokganj, Dhubri - July 27 to July 27, 2016
Orange level alert from CWC (orange level is issued when the river level is flowing within 0.5 m of High Flood. Highest recorded level of the Sankosh at Golokganj is 30.95 metres in September 2007
Beki River at Beki Road bridge, Barpeta - July 27 to July 27, 2016
Orange alert
Brahmaputra River at Tezpur, Sonitpur - July 27 to July 27, 2016
Orange alert
Damages
July 1 to July 29, 2016
Lakhimpur, Golaghat, Bongaigaon, Jorhat, Dhemaji, Sivsagar, Barpeta, Kokrajhar, Nagoan, Dibrurgarh, Chirang, Goalpara, Tinsukia, Dhubri, Morigaon, Sontipur, Biswanath, Darrang and Nalbari. Figure as of 29 July. The numbers affected greatly reduced from 04 August.
1 person swept away by flood water in Morigaon district, according to local media. on 14 July, ASDMA reported 2 deaths in separate landslides in Kamrup district. On 24 July, ADSMA reported another fatality in North Lakhimpur. As of 25 July, local media say the death toll stood at 7. By 29 July, the figure had increased to 18. on 28 July alone, 3 died in Barpeta district, one in Dhemaji and one in Kokrajhar. By 01 August, local media reported the figure to be 34
July 1 to July 26, 2016
Figures as of 26 July. 867 houses damaged were in Jorhat, the other in Chirang.
July 1 to July 29, 2016
As of 29 July, 517 relief camps and 186 relief distribution centres. By 04 August the number of displaced had fallen to 18,708.
July 26 to August 2, 2016
Kaziranga National Park said 402 animals, including 32 rhinos and 342 deer, died in the recent floods During the floods, a total of 107 animals were also rescued. Among the rescued were nine rhinos and 94 deer.
MAHESWAR DEKA
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Assam has had floods for decades. Occurrence of waves of floods is noticed during the monsoon season roughly from the early part June to September of the year. There occur deaths of people, loss to properties and damages to the farmers’ crops.
The government of the state and of the country have not taken any appropriate measures to control the floods.The frequent occurrence of floods in Assam can mainly be attributed to wide variation in rainfall during the monsoon season and space and inadequate carrying capacity of the state’ rivers including mighty Brahmaputra. With floods, few other problems also arise-particularly,there occurs heavy land erosion resulting in loss of lands of the state.
Unless floods control measures are taken up by the government, occurrence of waves of floods in Assam will go on for ever. The raw deal by the central government has compounded the Assam floods problems – Assam alone can not bear the expenditure that is needed in the execution of flood control measures.
Richard Davies, FloodList
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Thank you for your comment and insights into the flood situation in Assam. Are there any specific flood control measures that have been proposed for Assam?