Guwahati, July 20 (IANS) The Indian Army has launched ‘Operation Jal Rahat’ to support the Assam government in large-scale rescue and relief operations as worsening floods continue to inundate several parts of eastern Assam, severely affecting thousands of people across seven districts, officials said on Monday.
A senior official stated that the Army and Assam Rifles columns have been deployed in the worst-affected districts of Charaideo, Sivasagar and Jorhat, where floodwaters have submerged vast stretches of land, cutting off villages and disrupting normal life.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has also been kept on standby to provide aerial assistance if the situation deteriorates further.
Officials stated that Army personnel, working in coordination with the civil administration and disaster response agencies, have already rescued several stranded residents from inundated localities and are assisting in evacuation and relief efforts.
The floods have also disrupted transport infrastructure in the region.
Railway services have been affected after floodwaters damaged and washed away portions of railway embankments, with at least two breaches reported.
Several villages remain submerged, while road connectivity has also been impacted in low-lying areas.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has deputed state ministers Bimal Bora and Susanta Borgohain to the affected districts to supervise rescue operations and assess the ground situation.
The state government has instructed senior ministers and officials to remain in constant touch with district administrations to ensure timely distribution of relief materials and rehabilitation support.
According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), the flood situation deteriorated significantly on Sunday, with one person reported dead in Sivasagar district.
The latest casualty has taken the flood-related death toll in the state this year to five.
ASDMA data showed that more than 57,100 people have been affected across Charaideo, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Sivasagar, Tinsukia and Udalguri districts.
The number of affected people has risen sharply from around 24,000 recorded a day earlier.
Charaideo remains the worst-affected district, with nearly 24,000 people impacted, followed by Dhemaji, where over 22,000 residents are affected. Dibrugarh has reported more than 4,000 affected people, while floodwaters have also affected parts of Jorhat, Sivasagar, Tinsukia and Udalguri.
Rescue teams remain engaged in evacuation and relief operations as authorities continue to monitor the evolving flood situation amid forecasts of further rainfall across the region.
–IANS
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