3 weeks ago
Assam flood toll rises to 97, 1.68 lakh still affected
Assam is a state that has had very heavy rain this year, and the rain has caused big floods.
The floods have been dangerous, and sadly 97 people have died because of them.
More than 168,000 people are still surrounded by water and need help.
Many people are staying in special camps, where they get shelter and help.
The floodwaters also damaged railway tracks, so trains could not run for almost two weeks.
Railway workers fixed the tracks, and now some trains are running again.
The leader of Assam, called the Chief Minister, was happy that train services could start again.
To keep everyone safe, only diesel trains will run for now.
This is because many people and animals were taking shelter near the tracks, and electric wires there could be dangerous.
The floods also covered many farms, roads and bridges, and people are waiting for the water to go down.
Assam's flood death toll rose to 97 after two more fatalities were reported from Golaghat and Udalguri districts.
Over 1.68 lakh people across 15 districts remain affected, with Golaghat worst hit at around 54,000, followed by Sivasagar (49,000) and Jorhat (27,000).
Railway connectivity via Sivasagar district, disrupted for nearly a fortnight, has been restored and train services resumed in a limited manner since Thursday afternoon.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the Selenghat-Amguri-Simaluguri-Sivasagar Town section became operational, allowing direct trains between Guwahati and Dibrugarh to resume.
Only diesel locomotive-hauled trains will initially run on the restored sections as a safety measure because flood-affected locals were sheltering near the tracks.
- Who
- Officials of the Assam government and Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, and NFR General Manager Chetan Kumar Shrivastava.
- What
- The flood death toll in Assam rose to 97, with over 1.68 lakh people across 15 districts still affected, while railway connectivity via Sivasagar was restored after nearly a fortnight.
- Where
- Assam, especially the districts of Golaghat, Sivasagar, Udalguri, Jorhat, Kamrup Metropolitan, Nagaon, Kamrup, Darrang, Sonitpur, Hojai, Lakhimpur, Biswanath, Charaideo, Karbi Anglong and Dhemaji.
- When
- Reported on Friday (August 7); limited train services resumed from Thursday afternoon.
- Why
- Floodwaters damaged railway tracks, embankments, roads and bridges, disrupting connectivity and displacing people; restoration work was completed with safety precautions.
Key facts
- Death toll
- 97 (two new deaths from Golaghat and Udalguri districts)
- Districts affected
- 15
- People affected
- Over 1.68 lakh (increased from around 1.6 lakh on Wednesday)
- Worst-affected district
- Golaghat (~54,000), followed by Sivasagar (49,000) and Jorhat (27,000)
- Relief camps and distribution centres
- 133 operational in six districts, sheltering around 45,000 people
- Crop area submerged
- 14,382.26 hectares
- Restored railway section
- Selenghat-Amguri-Simaluguri-Sivasagar Town, operational from 4 pm Thursday
- Initial train operation
- Only diesel locomotive-hauled trains on restored sections for public safety
Quotes
Northeast Frontier Railway General Manager Chetan Kumar Shrivastava
NFR General Manager overseeing flood recovery
“"Considering the humanitarian concerns and prioritising public safety, it has been decided to initially operate only diesel locomotive-hauled trains on the restored sections. This precautionary measure has been taken to minimise the risk of electrocution and ensure the safety of flood-affected people until conditions become normal."”
theprint.in
“"Glad to share that the flood-affected railway section between Selenghat-Amguri-Simaluguri-Sivasagar Town has been restored and made operational at 4 pm today. With this, direct train services between Guwahati and Dibrugarh via Lumding and Sivasagar can now resume."”
theprint.in
deccanchronicle.com
Sources
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