Assam prepares for flood after heavy showers, warning about more rains till June 15

A car remains stuck on a waterlogged street of Hatigoan area after rain, in Guwahati. Credit: PTI Photo

Assam government on Sunday asked all Deputy Commissioners to ramp up preparation to tackle floods, a calamity the state faces almost every Monsoon, after heavy rains lashed parts of the state and the weather department warned about heavy rains till June 15.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma held a meeting with the DCs and other senior officials on Sunday in which instructions were issued for prepositioning of National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force personnel in vulnerable districts especially in the hilly Dima Hasao district, which faced a havoc last year. The CM also asked Assam State Disaster Management Authority to activate risk communication and early warning systems to warn the people against the potential threats of flood.

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"The Chief Minister asked the Deputy Commissioners to set up relief camps and streamline relief distribution in the relief distribution centres. He asked the DCs to take all necessary steps to visit the embankment breach areas of the last year to do the vulnerability mapping and take precautionary measures accordingly. He also asked the DCs to make the geo bags available in adequate numbers in the vulnerable areas. He also asked the DCs to assess available stock of food materials and the availability of buffer stock and fodder stock in their respective districts," an official statement said.

The CM also asked the officials to maintain vigil to avert damage to embankment by miscreants, something which caused massive flood in Cachar district last year.

Flood creates havoc across Assam during the Monsoon almost every year. The situation turned worse last year, particularly in Barak Valley and the hilly Dima Hasao district, disrupting communication and normal lives for weeks.

The CM's instructions came after heavy rains were reported from several parts of Assam in the past 24-hours and the IMD warned about more heavy rains till June 15.

"Moisture incursion due to strong low-level Southerly/ Southwesterly winds from the Bay of Bengal to Northeast India is very likely during the next five days. Under its influence, fairly widespread rainfall activity with heavy to very heavy rainfall, thunderstorms with lightning is very likely to occur over Assam during the next five days," said a weather bulletin issued by the IMD.