Guwahati, July 9 – Severe flooding in Assam, India, has affected approximately 230,000 people across 28 districts as the water levels of nine rivers, including the Brahmaputra, have risen above the danger mark. Floods and landslides have claimed the lives of 85 people in the last month and a half, with six fatalities reported on Monday.

The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) confirmed these figures in a statement on Tuesday. The fatalities included two individuals who drowned in Dhubri district, one in Goalpara district, two in Golaghat, and one in Shibasgarh.

Heavy rains and mountain landslides have caused eight rivers, namely Brahmaputra, Subansiri, Dikhou, Disang, Buridihing, Kopili, Barak, and Sankosh, to reach dangerous levels. As a result, flooding has affected various districts of Assam since late May. Floodwaters have inundated 27 of the state's 35 districts, trapping at least 2.275 million people.

Dhubri district is the worst affected, with approximately 475,000 people stranded by floodwaters. Cachar and Barpeta districts are also severely impacted, with 200,000 and 136,000 people affected, respectively.

In the past six weeks, floods have completely destroyed crops in 3,154 villages in Assam, causing the deaths of thousands of cattle and poultry. Infrastructure, including bridges and roads, has also suffered extensive damage.

In response to the crisis, the ASDMA has opened 543 relief camps in 25 districts, providing shelter to 345,500 people who have been displaced by the floods. Disaster Management Department personnel, assisted by the Indian paramilitary forces, SDRF, and NDRF, are actively working to rescue those trapped by the floodwaters.

The scale of the disaster highlights the urgent need for ongoing relief efforts and support to the affected communities as Assam grapples with the devastating impacts of the floods.