Flood situation in worst-hit Assam's Silchar remains grim, death toll jumps to 107

Guwahati: The flood situation in Assam remains critical on Friday with 45.34 lakh people reeling under the deluge, officials said.

The worst affected is Silchar town in Barak Valley where the situation remains extremely grim for four days now. Nearly three lakh people are affected as the overflowing Barak River inundated the major town in southern Assam, while more than 71,000 people have been shifted to relief camps.

With no food and electricity, and an acute scarcity of drinking water, the town is now depending on the food and essentials being airdropped by the central and state disaster forces, besides the army and the air force.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma conducted an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas in Silchar yesterday.

"More army columns are joining the rescue operations. We are airlifting one lakh bottles of drinking water every day to Silchar from Guwahati. We also airlifted power department engineers and technicians to repair the electric transformers," he said.

Seven more deaths due to floods and landslides were reported in Assam in the past 24 hours, even as the floodwaters have started recede in most areas.

The devastating floods have claimed 107 lives since April, affecting more than 45 lakh people across 30 districts of the state.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the Centre is monitoring the flood situation in Assam. The government is working closely with the state to provide all possible assistance to overcome the situation, he said.

"Army and NDRF teams are present in the flood-affected areas. They are conducting evacuation operations and assisting those who are affected. The Air Force has conducted over 250 sorties as a part of the evacuation process," he added.