Guwahati/Rangia: Relentless rainfall continued to lash Assam on Sunday, severely impacting road and rail transportation across the state.
The deluge has already claimed eight lives in flood and landslide-related incidents, with over 78,000 residents affected across more than 15 districts, according to official reports.
The Central Water Commission (CWC) has issued an ‘orange alert’ for Assam, warning of a “severe flood situation” as water levels in 10 major rivers, including the Brahmaputra and Barak, have crossed the danger mark.
Train services were hit in the southern part of the state.
A spokesperson for Northeast Frontier Railway confirmed that the Dullabcherra–Silchar passenger train was cancelled due to water overflowing the tracks on the Baraigram–Dullabcherra section.
The Dullabcherra–Guwahati Express is operating from Baraigram instead of its regular origin point.
Road connectivity has also taken a major hit. Sections of National Highway-17 were submerged near Shingra Shalnibari in the Chaygaon area of Kamrup district since Saturday.
Officials said the situation has been worsened by runoff from neighboring Meghalaya, which has added to the water volume.
Authorities are currently working to divert traffic through alternative routes to maintain movement.
The CWC reported that the Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger level at Dibrugarh and Nematighat in Jorhat.
Other rivers exceeding safe limits include the Dhaleswari at Gharmura (Hailakandi), Rukni at Dholai (Cachar), Katakhal at Matijuri (Hailakandi), Barak at Badarpur Ghat (Sribhumi), Buridehing at Margherita (Tinsukia), Kushiyara in Sribhumi, Dhansiri at Numaligarh (Golaghat), and Kopili at Kampur (Nagaon).
An Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) bulletin confirmed five deaths from landslides and three from floods by Saturday evening.
Three western Assam districts were placed under a ‘red alert’, while eight others remain under ‘orange alert’ status, according to the Regional Meteorological Centre.
Compounding the crisis, inflows from upstream regions in Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya have intensified flooding in Assam’s low-lying areas.
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Multiple agencies, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), local police, and fire and emergency services, have been deployed for evacuation and relief operations.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday described the unfolding situation as “abnormal,” attributing it to persistent downpours driven by dense cloud cover over much of the northeastern region.
