Flooding in Guwahati, Paramilitary Troopers Deployed for Rescue Operations

Torrents in Assam’s main city of Guwahati continuing from Sunday has triggered massive flooding forcing authorities on Tuesday to deploy paramilitary troopers to conduct rescue operations, said media reports.

According to reports, troopers of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rescued over 200 people using rubber boats and rafts from different areas of the city, which is waist-deep inundated.

“We have already rescued scores of people trapped inside homes filled with water, mud, and slush and we are on the lookout for more who could be desperately looking for help,” Anil Chauhan, NRDF commander, was quoted as saying.

Heavy rains since Sunday, accompanied with cyclonic storms, paralysed normal life in most parts of Assam, particularly Guwahati.

Many areas which are submerged in water include Lachit Nagar, Rajgarh, Zoo Road, Nabin Nagar, Hengarabari, and G.S. Road areas, said reports.

Since Monday, 80.4 mm rainfall was recorded in Guwahati and there is forecast of more rain along with thunderstorm on Wednesday and Thursday.

“This is the worst-ever flooding in the city in recent memory with rainwater flooding the better part of our ground floor,” Nanda Das, a college teacher, was quoted as saying.

The situation became further compounded as mud and slush blocked city’s drainage system, reports said.

“There is no outlet for the water to go and hence the artificial flooding caused,” a municipal corporation official was quoted as saying.

(Based on internet reports)