Page 10 - Assam

Assam floods, landslides claim 3 more lives, death toll rises to 26

According to the reports of Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), 20 people have died due to floods in the state this year so far, while six others died due to landslides

Assam flood situation improves; ferry services to resume on Brahmaputra

The flood situation in Assam continued to improve with the affected population and area decreasing to around 3.37 lakh in 12 districts respectively, officials said on Sunday. An official bulletin said that the total death toll in this year's floods and landslides is at 23, including six killed in mudslides, till Saturday. Major rivers, including the Brahmaputra, were on a receding trend, though a few of these continued to flow above the danger mark. Following this, ferry services which had been suspended since last week will be partially restored over the Brahmaputra during the day. The Brahmaputra was flowing over the danger level at Dhubri, Kopili at Dharamtul, Barak at BP Ghat and Kushiyara at Sribhumi till Saturday evening. A total of 3,37,358 people in 41 circles and 999 villages in 12 districts remained affected by the deluge, with Sribhumi the worst-hit where over 1.93 lakh people are reeling under floods. In Hailakandi, 73,724 remained affected and in Cachar, 56,398 are s

BJP names Kanad Purkayastha its candidate for Assam Rajya Sabha polls

The BJP on Saturday announced that the party's Assam state secretary Kanad Purkayastha will be its candidate for the Rajya Sabha election from the state. A release said the party's central election committee has approved the candidature of Purkayastha. A party leader from Barak valley, Purkayastha is the son of veteran BJP leader and former Union minister Kabindra Purkayastha. Elections for two Rajya Sabha seats in Assam are scheduled on June 19, with counting of votes to take place the same day. The BJP had earlier announced that it will field a candidate for one of the seats, leaving the other for its ally Asom Gana Parishad (AGP). The two seats that are being vacated were held by BJP and AGP.

Assam flood situation sees slight improvement as rivers begin to recede

The flood situation in Assam improved marginally as major rivers, including the Brahmaputra, were showing a receding trend though a population of over four lakh people was still affected by the deluge in 18 districts of the state, officials said on Saturday. Rainfall has been less in most districts and scattered in some, leading to a recession in the water level of the major rivers. The Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger level in Dhubri, Kopili in Dharamtul, River Barak at Katakhal in Hailakandi and Kushiyara in Sribhumi. There was no report of any casualty during the day though a person was reported missing in Kamrup (Metro) district. A landslide took place in the Rupnagar area of Guwahati early on Saturday and a person has been reported missing. The current first wave of floods along with landslides due to heavy rainfall has so far claimed 21 lives. The floods have affected 1,296 villages under 54 revenue circles of 18 districts and 16,558.59 hectares of cropland are still

Despite SC ban illegal mining intensified near Kaziranga, says CEC report

The Central Empowered Committee (CEC) has told the Supreme Court that illegal mining has continued and intensified in Assam's Parkup Pahar area near the Kaziranga National Park, despite a 2019 top court order banning all mining and related activities in and around the park's eco-sensitive zone. Kaziranga, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is home to around 65 per cent of the endangered one-horned rhino population in the world. It forms part of an important wildlife corridor between the Brahmaputra floodplains and the Karbi Anglong hills. The Supreme Court, acting on earlier findings by the CEC, had prohibited all mining and related activities in this region to prevent degradation of critical wildlife habitats and forested landscapes. Based on a complaint from an anonymous government employee in Assam and field-level verification, the CEC submitted a fresh report dated May 30 to the SC, saying that mining activities in the region have "continued and intensified" despite the apex court's

BRO working 24x7 to aid rain-hit Mizoram, Sikkim, Arunachal: Defence Min

According to the Directorate of Public Relations, Ministry of Defence, BRO teams have been working relentlessly in treacherous terrain to restore critical connectivity

Watch: Flood situation in Assam critical; several dead | Northeast floods | Assam floods | Manipur

The flood situation in the Northeast remained critical as the toll due to deluge and landslides triggered by heavy rain has risen to 36.

After IWT abeyance, Pak stokes China-Brahmaputra threat: Assam CM Himanta

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that after India put the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) in abeyance, Pakistan is weaving a new "manufactured threat" narrative of what will happen if China stops Brahmaputra's flow into the country. He clarified that though China has not announced any such move, but even if it happens, it would in fact help mitigate the annual Assam floods. He said that most of Brahmaputra's flow is generated due to downpour in northeast India while glacial melt and limited Tibetan rainfall contribute to only 30-35 per cent of the river's water flow. In an X post titled 'What If China Stops Brahmaputra Water to India? A Response to Pakistan's New Scare Narrative', he said, 'After India decisively moved away from the outdated Indus Waters Treaty, Pakistan is now spinning another manufactured threat: What if China stops the Brahmaputra's water to India?" 'Let's dismantle this myth -- not with fear, but with facts and national clarity," he added. Sarm

Gaurav Gogoi takes charge as Assam Congress chief ahead of elections

Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi on Tuesday assumed charge as the Assam Congress president and he is all set to lead the party in next year's assembly polls. He was handed over the reins by outgoing president Bhupen Kumar Borah, who had helmed the state's main opposition party for over three years, at the state Congress headquarters here. Senior party leaders, including AICC general secretary Jitendra Singh and Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly Debabrata Saikia were present on the occasion. Gogoi visited Kamakhya temple before taking charge as the Congress's state unit chief. Speaking to reporters after assuming charge, Gogoi said the party will continue to be inspired by its ideology of equality and inclusiveness. "Inspired by the ideology of leaders from Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru to Hitestwar Saikia and Tarun Gogoi, we will together take the party forward," he said. Gogoi was named the new state unit chief by the party's central leadership last week at a time when

Assam, Meghalaya to install boundary pillars at 5 sites by August 15

CM Sarma stated that the meeting focused on the inter-state border dispute, artificial flooding in Guwahati, and the proposed construction of a multipurpose project at Kulsi along the Assam-Meghalaya

SC rejects plea on deportation drive in Assam, asks petitioner to move HC

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a plea which alleged that the Assam government has reportedly launched a "sweeping" drive to detain and deport persons suspected to be foreigners without nationality verification or exhaustion of legal remedies. A bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Satish Chandra Sharma told the petitioner to approach the Gauhati High Court in the matter. "Why are you not going to the Gauhati High Court?" the bench asked senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, who appeared for petitioner All BTC Minority Students Union. Hegde said the plea was based on an order passed by the apex court earlier. "Please go to the Gauhati High Court," the bench observed. Hegde said the petitioner would withdraw the plea to take appropriate recourse before the high court. The bench allowed him to withdraw the plea. The plea, filed through advocate Adeel Ahmed, referred to a February 4 order of the top court which, while dealing with a separate petition, had directed Assam to .

Flood situation remains critical; Met dept predicts more rain in Assam

The flood situation in Assam remained grim on Monday with the water levels rising in many parts of the state, officials said. The India Meteorological Department's Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Guwahati has said that moderate rainfall is very likely to occur at most places of Assam, while heavy to very heavy rainfall has been predicted at a few places and extremely heavy rainfall in isolated places. A report by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) on Sunday night said that two more people lost their lives in Cachar and Sribhumi districts, and around four lakh people are reeling under the deluge across 15 districts. The total number of people losing their lives in this year's flood and landslides has increased to 10. Cachar is the worst hit with over one lakh people affected, followed by 85,000 people in Sribhumi and 62,000 in Nagaon, it added. The administration has been operating 155 relief camps and relief distribution centres in 12 districts, taking c

Northeast floods, landslides: Over 20 dead across Assam, Manipur, Arunachal

Relentless rain triggers flash floods, landslides across northeastern states; thousands displaced, infrastructure damaged

At least 8 killed as rain triggers flash floods, landslides in Assam

According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) reports, three people died in floods and five died in landslides

Five dead in Assam landslides as heavy rain triggers floods in districts

Five persons were killed in landslides in Assam in the last 24 hours as incessant rain led to floods in six districts, affecting over 10,000 people, an official bulletin said on Saturday. Three districts in the western part of the state remained on 'red alert' and eight more were on 'orange alert', as per Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) data, while rainwaters from upstream areas in Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya aggravated the flood situation in the state. The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said all five deaths have been reported from the Kamrup Metropolitan district. Urban Affairs Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah had on Friday said that three members of a family, a mother-daughter duo and a niece, were killed in a landslide in Bonda area on the outskirts of Guwahati. He had said that several agencies were working to provide relief to affected people as massive waterlogging was reported from most localities in the city on Friday. Baruah inspected the situatio

Guwahati flooded as Assam faces red alert amid relentless rainfall

IMD issues red alert as Assam reels under heavy rainfall; flooding in Guwahati forces evacuations and paralyses traffic

CM Himanta vows rapid action to identify, deport foreign nationals in Assam

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said the process to detect and deport declared foreigners will be fast-tracked, with legal steps taken against those not appealing in higher courts

Assam approves arms licences for indigenous people near Bangladesh border

Assam approves arms licences for indigenous people in vulnerable border areas near Bangladesh. CM clarifies the policy won't apply to inter-state borders. Opposition raises safety concerns

Why is Assam giving arms licences to indigenous people in ‘vulnerable’ areas

The Assam government will now issue arms licences to indigenous residents in “vulnerable” border areas. While the move is being framed as empowerment, critics fear it could inflame tensions.

Credible inputs suggest Gogoi's 'proximity' with Pakistan govt: Himanta

Claiming that there are credible inputs suggesting Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi's "proximity" with the Pakistani establishment, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said his admission of visiting that country "is just the beginning" of something "far more serious". Debunking claims that he had alleged links with the Pakistani establishment, Gogoi told a press conference in New Delhi that he had gone to Pakistan only once, 12 years ago. "Finally, Congress MP Shri Gaurav Gogoi has admitted that he visited Pakistan. But let us be very clear -- this is just the beginning, not the end. What lies ahead is far more serious. There exists every reasonable ground, supported by credible inputs and documented information, to suggest that Shri Gogoi has maintained proximity with the Pakistani establishment," Sarma posted on X. He said the Assam government is committed to transparency and accountability and will make everything public on September 10, once the Special Investigation Team .