Landslides were reported in Guwahati for the second consecutive day on Wednesday as several parts of Assam’s capital city remained waterlogged due to incessant rains since Monday night, PTI reported.
Anil Nagar, Nabin Nagar, Rajgarh Link Road, Rukminigaon, Hatigaon and Krishna Nagar areas of the city were among the worst hit by the floods. National and state disaster response forces have been deployed to rescue stranded locals and provide them with relief aid and drinking water.
No casualties were reported on Wednesday, even as four construction workers had died due to a landslide in Guwahati on Tuesday. The state has registered 42 deaths due to floods and landslides this year, PTI reported.
The Assam Power Distribution Company is working to restore electricity which went off on Tuesday, PTI reported.
The India Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for Assam and Meghalaya till June 17, warning of heavy rainfall. Eight out of 35 districts in the state are flooded due to the rising water levels in river Brahmaputra and its tributaries since the heavy downpour, the Assam Disaster Management Authority said in a bulletin.
Hojai and Dima Hasao district officials told Scroll.in that water has been released from the 275-megawatt Kopili Hydro Electric Project have released excess water. Authorities at the power project have warned of further increase in water levels as they will open the Khandong Dam. The power project is situated on the dam.
The district officials said that the excess water from the dam will increase the water levels of Kopili and Brahmaputra rivers. This would then impact the water flow downstream to Hojai and Dima Hasao, they added.
Meanwhile, Dima Hasao district Deputy Commissioner Nazreen Ahmed has issued an advisory restricting the movement of citizens in public places and urged those living in vulnerable locations to shift to relief camps.
The Kamrup Metropolitan district administration has advised citizens to only step out for emergencies or essentials. Classes have been suspended in all educational institutes of Kamrup.
Infrastructure such as roads and bridges have been damaged due to the heavy flooding in Barpeta, Cachar, Chirang, Dhemaji, and Goalpara among other areas, PTI reported.
Assam has received rainfall that is 62% above normal from March to May, the highest in 10 years, according to data from the Indian Meteorological Department. Heavy pre-monsoon rain, flooding and landslides caused massive damage to the state’s infrastructure, including bridges, roads and railway tracks.
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