Over 6.71 lakh hit by floods in Assam

Guwahati: Assam’s flood situation remained critical on Tuesday with over 6.71 lakh people affected in 20 districts in the second wave of flooding this year, as the Indian Air Force (IAF) rescued 13 stranded fishermen from the severely-hit Dibrugarh district, an official said. At least 13 major rivers, including the Brahmaputra, are flowing above the danger level at different places, with alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall in several districts, an official bulletin said.

The stranded fishermen were rescued from Hatia Ali, a ‘char’ (sandbar) area in Dibrugarh, at the request of Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA). “ASDMA requested IAF to airlift these 13 stranded fishermen. All the expenditure for airlifting the people will be borne by ASDMA,” the official said.

The IAF, sharing pictures related to the rescue operation on X, wrote: “#IAF rescued 13 marooned survivors from a small island in the flooded Brahmaputra, north of Dibrugarh in Assam. On 2 Jul 24, after a sunrise takeoff, a Mi-17 IV helicopter from AFS Mohanbari flew in challenging weather conditions and undertook rescue ops from a marshy piece of land.”