Guwahati, June 29: The first wave of floods in Assam has affected more than 22,000 people across six districts following continuous heavy rainfall in the state and neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh, according to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA).
Official figures released by the ASDMA showed that 22,124 people have been affected in Dhemaji, Nalbari, Dibrugarh, Chirang, Lakhimpur and Kokrajhar districts.
Dhemaji has emerged as the worst-affected district, with 15,483 people impacted as rising floodwaters inundated large areas.
The floods have submerged 96 villages and damaged nearly 1,690 hectares of agricultural land, causing significant losses to standing crops across the affected districts.
The continuing rainfall has also caused several rivers and tributaries to swell. The Disang River in Sivasagar district is flowing above the danger level at Nanglamuraghat, increasing the risk of further flooding in vulnerable low-lying areas.
The deluge has also affected livestock, with the ASDMA reporting that 48,199 animals have been impacted during the current spell of flooding.
Meanwhile, heavy rainfall and erosion have damaged transport infrastructure in Dhemaji district. A railway bridge over the Simen River suffered partial damage after excessive rainfall of more than 110 mm triggered severe riverbank erosion near the structure.
According to the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), train services between Archipathar and Simen Chapari stations have been suspended as a precaution.
Railway authorities said the bridge, originally built in 1965 and later converted to broad gauge, had remained structurally sound. However, continuous rainfall washed away a substantial portion of the riverbank, destabilising one of the bridge piers.
Authorities are closely monitoring the flood situation as heavy rainfall continues across several parts of Assam and adjoining Arunachal Pradesh, with concerns that the number of affected people may rise further.
