Assam floods: Death toll rises to 97 as NFR restores damaged railway tracks
The Assam flood situation remains critical with 97 deaths reported and over 1.68 lakh people affected. The Northeast Frontier Railway has restored flood-damaged
The flood situation in Assam stayed critical on Friday, with the death toll rising to 97. According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), more than 1.68 lakh people were still affected across 15 districts. While floodwater has begun to recede in Sivasagar, several areas remain waterlogged, and damage to houses has been reported.
Residents have started returning from relief camps, but many communities continue to face the impact of floodwater remaining for days. In Betbari, Sivasagar, resident Pradip Gogoi said, “We have never seen such devastation in our lifetime. Even after 19 days, the water has not drained out from the district. The houses are full of silt and debris….”
Districts still under the flood impact
ASDMA’s daily flood report lists continued impact in districts including Golaghat, Sivasagar, Udalguri, Kamrup Metropolitan, Nagaon, Kamrup, Darrang, Sonitpur, Hojai, Lakhimpur, Biswanath, Jorhat, Charaideo, Karbi Anglong and Dhemaji. Golaghat remained the worst-hit district, with nearly 54,000 people affected, followed by Sivasagar with over 49,000, and Jorhat with around 27,000.
Local administration and disaster response efforts are also underway to drain water from affected areas. Officials said three water pumps are being used to drain floodwater from waterlogged zones, while a fourth pump is in the process of being deployed. The state government has also said relief and rehabilitation steps are being implemented on the ground. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on X that every relief measure is being backed by swift action, with immediate assistance and support for rehabilitation.
NFR to run trains after track restoration
Alongside the flood response, the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has restored railway tracks damaged by the recent floods at Simaluguri and adjoining areas in Sivasagar district under the Tinsukia Division. NFR General Manager Chetan Kumar Shrivastava visited the affected sections and carried out an inspection of the tracks, bridges, and other railway infrastructure.
During the inspection, officials observed that local residents, including children, were sheltering on or near the railway tracks because of the flood situation. To address humanitarian concerns and public safety, NFR decided to initially operate only diesel locomotive-hauled trains on the restored section to reduce the risk of electrocution until conditions return to normal. Local train services, including the Guwahati–Dibrugarh Nagaland Express and several other passenger and intercity services, will operate via Moranhat.
