Assam: IAF Rescues 13 Stranded Fishermen In Dibrugarh As Flood Situation Worsens

The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) had earlier requested the IAF to airlift these fishermen from Hatia Ali, a sandbar area in Dibrugarh, where they were trapped due to the floodwaters.

According to an official the ASDMA assured the IAF that all the expenditure for airlifting the people will be borne by them.

The Indian Air Force in a post on X announced the successful rescue of the 13 fishermen as well and elaborated on the operation while sharing photos.

They wrote, "#IAF rescued 13 marooned survivors from a small island in the flooded Brahmaputra, north of Dibrugarh in Assam. On 02 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. The coordinated efforts of Pilot & Flt Gunner ensured prompt and safe boarding of 13 survivors. Emergency First Aid was provided by Indian Air Force after the rescue."

On Sunday, the Indian Air Force (IAF) rescued 8 State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) members and a revenue official from Jonai in Dhemaji district. They were stuck in a sandbar area while conducting relief operations.

In the current wave of flooding, Dibrugarh district has been hit hard, with the main town in Upper Assam submerged for six days in a row.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said on Monday that the situation in Dibrugarh was critical with the Brahmaputra flowing above the danger level and machines unable to drain out the water from the town.

The flood situation in the state turned critical since Sunday following incessant rainfall in Arunachal Pradesh and a population of over 6.50 lakh affected in 19 districts.

The death toll has risen to 45 in this year's flood, storm and landslides

The affected districts in the current wave are Kamrup, Golaghat, Majuli, Lakhimpur, Karimganj, Cachar, Dhemaji, Morigaon, Udalguri, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Nagaon, Sivasagar, Darrang, Nalbari, Sonitpur, Tamulpur, Biswanath and Jorhat have been inundated by flood waters.

Lakhimpur remained the worst-hit district with 1,43,983 people reeling under flood waters, followed by Dhemaji with 1,01,333 affected people and Cachar with 66,195 affected population.

Altogether 8,142 displaced people were taking shelter in 72 relief camps, with another 64 relief distribution centres also functional.

In the famed Kaziranga National Park, 95 out of the 233 forest camps have been inundated with the Golaghat district administration issuing prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) restricting the movement of vehicular traffic on NH-37 (New NH-715) and vehicle speed to between 20 to 40 km/hour.

The major rivers flowing above the danger level are Brahmaputra (Tezpur), Subansiri (Bedatighat), Dikhou (Sivasagar), Disang (Nanglamuraghat), Burhi Dihing (Chenimari and Khowang)), Jia-Bharali (Nt Road Crossing), Beki (Road Bridge), Kushiyara (Karimganj).

Several agencies, including NDRF, SDRF, army, air force and local administration, have been pressed into rescue operations in the affected areas, the bulletin said.