Assam's Silchar still under water, CM says flood was 'man-made'

The death toll due to floods and landslides reached 121 with four deaths reported on Saturday. Of this, 21 deaths were in the Cachar district

As most parts of south Assam city Silchar remained inundated even on the sixth day on Sunday, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that the flood was "man-made."

"The flood here this time is man-made. I have got information that the embankment which protects Silchar from the water of the Barak river was breached by some people. I have asked the police to register a case so that action can be initiated against them," Sarma, who visited flooded Silchar for the second time on Sunday, told reporters.

Cachar district administration had earlier said that a breach in the embankment at Bethukandi in the outskirts of Silchar on Sunday flooded the city and its adjoining areas. The situation turned grim from the next day (June 20). Heavy rains on the hills of adjoining Meghalaya and Mizoram swelled the water level in the Barak river.

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"Sir, there is no electricity," shouted a flood-hit resident from the first floor of a building as Sarma was taking a boat ride to take stock of the flood situation and the relief activities. "Elecricity department personnel are working. Please wait for one more day," Silchar MP, Rajdeep Roy, who was with the CM, replied.

"Most of the areas in the city (Silchar) are still submerged and people are in trouble. The government and the administration is trying to reduce the problems faced by people," Sarma tweeted later.

Flood water has started receding but people's agony continued as electricity could not be restored in most parts of the city. Most of the transformers are under water. People's struggle for drinking water continued while IAF personnel continued to air drop water and food items.

Cachar deputy commissioner, Keerthi Jalli told DH on Sunday morning that the administration was using drones to drop drinking water in the worst affected areas.

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"There are still areas in many narrow bylanes that we couldn't access which is currently the area we are focusing on for nearby delivery through local volunteers, or through ropes and human chains and now we are exploring drone technology as well," she said.

Five deaths, including four children were reported from Cachar, Barpeta, Darrang, Karimganj and Morigaon districts on Sunday. This took the death toll due to flood and landslides to 126. The death toll in Cachar reached 22.

The daily flood report issued by Assam State Disaster Management Authority on Sunday said over 22 lakh people remained affected in 2,542 villages in 28 districts. The number of affected people was over 25 lakh on Saturday.

The NDRF has been helping the district administration in safe evacuation of people from affected areas apart from our own SDRF, fire and emergency service personnel, police and others, said a statement.