NDRF staff save people affected by floods in Lakhirpur area, Goalpara district
Guwahati:
As Assam faces a surge in the number of coronavirus cases with the return of stranded migrants, the state is now hit by its first wave of flash floods this year. Assam crossed the 500 COVID-19 mark on Monday at a time when flash floods affected people in five districts following moderate to heavy rains following Cyclone Amphan.
More than 30,000 people are facing floods in the districts of Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Darrang and Goalpara. 127 villages have been affected and 579 hectares of cultivated land are already under water, the government said.
This occurs on a day when the highest day-to-day peak of 134 cases brought their total COVID-19 to 526, of which 62 recovered and four people died.
Goalpara is the district most affected by the floods with nearly 23,000 people in 89 affected villages. Thirty-three relief camps have also been opened in the district, where more than 8,000 people have been displaced, according to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) flood report.
Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday that with the threat of massive flooding during the coronavirus crisis, it would be wiser for those trapped outside the state to return from here on June 10, so the state will focus on preparations for the flood.
“Several people are expected in the next seven days. Health authorities, in coordination with other services, are working to test and quarantine the facilities. We will be able to cope with the increase in the number of people entering. We want people to come and the chapter to be closed as soon as possible because you continue, things will continue, we will have floods. From Assam’s point of view, we want to leave people who want to come before June 10. We have 14 days (quarantine) and by June 30 we can close this chapter. In July we have floods. We don’t want to ration. If the airline wants to bring more people, however, let them provide advance information, “Sarma said on Monday.
