Guwahati, June 2: Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday visited Lakhimpur district to assess the worsening flood situation that has submerged over 129 villages and affected more than 46,000 people across five revenue circles.

Dr. Sarma inspected severely affected areas, including Amtala and Barbila, where a breach in the Amtala embankment—originally constructed in 1989—led to the inundation of at least five revenue villages by the swollen Pahumara River. Walking through floodwaters in the newly formed Naoboicha constituency, the Chief Minister met with residents to take stock of the ground realities and directed the district administration to expedite relief efforts.

He announced that the breached section of the embankment would be repaired immediately, with additional measures to drain stagnant floodwater via a nearby stream to facilitate the return of displaced residents. A full-scale reconstruction of the embankment is scheduled for September–October.

During his visit, Dr. Sarma also reviewed flood-induced damage to infrastructure, including the under-construction Pahumara-Dijo connecting road under the Asom Mala project, which was hit by the overflowing Ranganadi River. He instructed the concerned department to take urgent remedial action.

Inspecting erosion at the Barbila embankment, the Chief Minister asked the Water Resources Department to implement preventive measures without delay.

Accompanying him on the visit were Education Minister Dr. Ranoj Pegu, Water Resources Minister Pijush Hazarika, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Keshab Mahanta, MLAs Manab Deka, Naba Kumar Doley, and Dr. Amiya Kumar Bhuyan, along with Lakhimpur Deputy Commissioner Pronabjit Kakoty and other senior officials.

Earlier in the day, Dr. Sarma landed at Lilabari Airport and held a high-level meeting with NEEPCO officials at the Ranganadi Hydro Power Plant to discuss water release protocols. Emphasising a phased discharge system to prevent sudden downstream flooding, the Chief Minister directed that all water release decisions be closely coordinated with district authorities and preceded by timely public alerts. He also stressed the need for preemptive action based on rainfall forecasts.

According to district officials, this year’s floods have damaged over 454 hectares of farmland and affected 22,871 livestock. The administration has set up three relief camps, currently housing 425 people, and activated 49 relief distribution centres. One NDRF team and four SDRF teams have been deployed for rescue and evacuation.

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