Floods ravage Assam: Thousands displaced, relief camps set up

GUWAHATI: Rivers inundated extensive tracts of land, breaching embankments in multiple districts in lower and west Assam, while torrential downpour in the last 24 hours led to widespread flooding in numerous areas across south and lower Assam and artificial inundation in parts of Guwahati city.

In the last 24 hours (till 8.30am on Monday), Williamnagar in Meghalaya had very heavy rainfall, at 22 cm, followed by 19 cm in Kokrajhar, and 15 cm each in Karimganj and Nalbari districts of Assam.

IMD on Monday issued state-wise warning map for the northeast region, with a "red alert" in effect for Assam and Meghalaya for Tuesday and Wednesday, while Arunachal Pradesh has one for Wednesday. The Assam State Disaster Management Authority on Monday evening stated that 1.05 lakh people in the state are currently affected by floods, with nearly 95,000 people in Karimganj district alone. Over 3,000 people are taking shelter in relief camps in Karimganj. Nearly 5,000 people are affected in Nagaon district, where the Kopili river has submerged many villages. In a special weather bulletin, the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) of IMD said rainfall would intensify over Assam from June 17 to June 21.

Among Brahmaputra and its tributaries, Kopili was flowing above the danger level of 60.50 m at Kampur in central Assam's Nagaon district, while Brahmaputra was flowing above the warning level of 84.54 m in Neamatighat in upper Assam's Jorhat district, with a steady trend.