Monsoon Rains Bring Destruction to Assam
The flooding has resulted in widespread destruction, with roads turning into rivers and hundreds of vehicles stuck in waterlogged streets. The city of Guwahati is particularly affected, with hundreds of families forced to abandon their homes. The Indian government's rescue efforts and food aid are expected to provide relief to the affected areas.
At least five people, including children, have been killed in landslides in Assam's Kamrup (Metro) district over the last 24 hours, as heavy rainfall triggered massive waterlogging and flooding in the region.
The State Disaster Management Authority reported that urban flooding has affected three districts, impacting 10,150 people, with the situation expected to remain the same due to continued downpours. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has declared a special casual leave for all state government employees in Kamrup and Kamrup (Metro) districts, and ordered schools and colleges to shut down.
The monsoon season, which runs from June to September, brings widespread death and destruction, but is also crucial for replenishing water supplies. However, the intensity of rain and floods has increased in recent years, with experts attributing the problem to climate change. The Assam State Disaster Management Authority has confirmed five deaths in the last 24 hours, and a red alert warning has been issued for 12 districts of Assam.
The situation is particularly bad in the state capital Guwahati, where several low-lying areas are flooded and hundreds of families have been forced to abandon their homes. The Indian government has deployed rescue teams and dispatched food aid to affected areas. The Regional Meteorological Centre has issued a Red Alert for the next 48 hours, predicting heavy to very-heavy rainfall across the state.
As the situation continues to worsen, the state government has taken measures to mitigate the effects of the flooding, including declaring a special leave for government employees in the affected regions and ordering all educational institutions in Kamrup to remain closed on Saturday. The release of excess water from hydroelectric projects has also exacerbated the situation, with flooding reported in Lakhimpur and central Assam.