Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Cachar and Kamrup districts in state affected by floods
Floods in Assam in 2015. Photo: Pradip Nemane / Wikimedia Commons An active monsoon system is bringing heavy rain in Assam and overflowing rivers in the Brahmaputra valley have affected thousands of people. Over 21,000 people have been affected so far, according to the flood report issued by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) June 14, 2023.
Mainly four districts in the state are flood-affected — Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Cachar and Kamrup — the report said. Dams and roads have been damaged in these districts and a landslide also occurred near Laisang market in Dima-Hasao district, whose assessment is still underway.
ASDMA is yet to update its website, as of June 16, 2023.
Assam is expected to receive more heavy rain in the flood-affected areas, according to the weather forecast website Windy. The state gets 2,818 millimetres (mm) in a year. A fourth of it, or 500–600 millimetres of rainfall, is expected in isolated areas through June 19, 2023.
The regional centre of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has also forecast heavy rains in more than 12 districts until June 19. Of these, the districts of western Assam may be more affected.
There is a possibility of heavy rainfall in seven districts out of the total 10 districts in the western part of the state through June 19, the IMD said. These are, South Salmara-Mankachar, Kokrajhar, Chirang, Goalpara, Bongaigaon, Barpeta and Baksa.
Heavy rains are also expected in Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Charaideo, Dibrugarh and Tinsukia in North East Assam for the whole week, through June 19. However, in the IMD warning, just a yellow alert has been declared for Assam, which recommends keeping an eye on the situation.
“Isolated extremely heavy rainfall also likely over Assam and Meghalaya during June 16-18,” the IMD said June 16, 2023.
A recent analysis by Down to Earth quoted the Windy website, warning that the monsoon system is active in Assam. Through June 17-18, a fourth of the annual rainfall — that is, about 600-700 mm — may occur in Assam, the report said.
Though this situation will likely be less than the record rainfall of last year, it can also bring life-threatening floods in the Brahmaputra valley, it added.
All the rivers of Assam are responsible for floods as they receive heavy rainfall in a short period, according to a report based on 30 years of climate data by IMD (1989-2018). Water from the neighbouring Himalayas also reaches Assam very fast.
The rivers swell in a very short time and start breaking the banks. They contain a large amount of silt and debris, which quickly reach the river and increase the water levels.
It becomes almost impossible to control the mainstream, bringing the riverwater to the surrounding areas.
The state has seen several devastating floods over the last few years. Other than in 2022, floods occurred in 2019 and 2020 as well. However, despite all the information available, disaster control authorities remain unprepared.
Last year’s floods from June 14 to 29 killed 124 people, the IMD had earlier said on the basis of media reports.
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