Golaghat

While the flood situation in Assam's Golaghat district has shown signs of improvement on Monday, several families remain displaced as floodwaters persist in low-lying villages, prompting locals to demand a permanent drainage solution from the administration.

Areas under the Komarbandha Gram Panchayat, including villages such as Kuliapani, Kapuhating, Na-Pamua, Rajnakhat, Kharjan, Mahatgaon, and Kumargaon, continue to face the brunt of the deluge, with many families still unable to return to their homes.

Siddhartha Bora, who visited the affected areas for relief distribution, emphasised that the lack of a proper water flow system has made the floods a recurring nightmare for the region.

"Today, while here for the relief distribution, we also inspected the village. We observed that this is a recurring annual issue. There is a persistent problem regarding the water flow system. If an alternative, more robust, and cohesive route could be established, it would make a difference. Our request to the administration is to look into this and find a permanent solution," Bora told ANI.

Locals pointed out that the geography of the area, combined with a lack of drainage outlets, leads to prolonged waterlogging whenever heavy rains lash neighbouring Nagaland.

Speaking to ANI, Dhurbo Das, a resident of the area, explained the technical challenge, saying, "This happens here every year. In this entire area, there is no outlet for the water to drain out. If we could channel this water efficiently into the Dhansiri, it wouldn't accumulate here to such an extent. When it rains heavily in Nagaland, the water flows down here. This area then gets flooded."

Highlighting the need for infrastructure intervention, Das added, "To drain the water quickly, an alternate diversion channel needs to be constructed."

The floods have impacted 1,36,203 people, while 15,422 hectares of crop area have been affected, causing significant damage to agricultural land.

The human toll has also risen, with three deaths reported from Sivasagar district. In addition, two persons remain missing, both from Sivasagar. Officials said no urban flood districts have been reported in the current flood situation.

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Authorities continue to monitor the situation as relief and response measures remain underway in the affected areas. Meanwhile, Assam Minister Pijush Hazarika visited the flood-affected Demow and Nazira Legislative Assembly Constituencies (LACs) of Sivasagar district to review the relief and rehabilitation measures being undertaken by the district administration.