GUWAHATI: The flood situation in Assam improved marginally, while a five-member central team assessed the damage for the second straight day on Monday.
The inter-ministerial central team, led by M Ramachandru, Joint Secretary, Disaster Management, Ministry of Home Affairs, took stock of rescue operations, relief measures, and crop and livestock losses in Sivasagar district on Monday.
The team also visited adjoining Charaideo district on Sunday. Sivasagar and Charaideo are the worst-hit districts.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the situation in Sivasagar was improving as the floodwater receded. "The situation in Sivasagar is slowly returning to normal as water levels recede in many areas,” Sarma said.
He added, "Based on the reduction, we are gradually restoring power in areas with another 11% reduction in power cut areas from yesterday. We are monitoring the situation on an hourly basis."
He further stated that as the government was working to restore normalcy, protecting public health remained a top priority. He said medical outreach, vector control, and safe drinking water efforts continued across the flood-affected areas to ensure community safety in the flood aftermath.
Health Minister Ashok Singhal visited health camps across Sivasagar and Charaideo districts on Sunday to review the healthcare response and meet flood-affected families. He urged everyone not to ignore even the smallest sign of illness, advising them to go to their nearest healthcare facility.
The Assam State Disaster Management Authority on Monday advised people to stay away from river Dhansiri, stating that it remained in severe flood at Numaligarh in Golaghat district.
Till Saturday, 68 people died in the Assam floods, which affected lakhs of people and washed away thousands of livestock. The government said the scale of devastation had been unprecedented in Sivasagar and Charaideo districts. Deaths and damage were reported mostly from these two districts. A large number of people were taking shelter in relief camps set up by the government. Many others found refuge in makeshift structures they erected by the roadside.