SITUATION REPORT ASSAM FLOODS NATURE OF HAZARD: FLOODS IN ASSAM Following heavy to very heavy rainfall in north -eastern states of India since end- June, the rising flood waters of the Brahmaputra river caused a breach in an embankment in Assam’s Lakhimpur District, Dhakunakhata Gaon Panchayat on 1 July 2009. The 100 metre wide breach on the 5 km long embankment was caused due to the water levels rising to a breach height of 93.03 metres. On 2 July, media reports indicated that the situation has worsened with the release of water from the Kurishu dam in Bhutan at the pace of 698 cubic metres per second. Water has also been released from K arbi Langpi Hydel Project in Assam. The Indian Meteorological Department has predicted isolated extremely heavy falls ( = 25cm) over Assam & Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh during the next 3-4 days. On 3 July, the Central Water Commission reported that the Subansiri river in North Lakhimpur district was flowing above the warning level in a steady rising trend. Following the breach, the District Admi nistration sounded a Red Alert in the affected areas. Official reports on 2 July mention almost 1 lakh people affected in the Dhakuakhana sub-division. The flood protection measures of the Brahmaputra River have totally broken down. The situation has been described as grim and deteriorating. MAP OF AFFECTED DISTRICT (Source: Official website of Lakhimpur district http://lakhimpur.nic.in/ ) 1 Sit Rep - Assam Floods–03 July 2009 DAMAGE DETAILS As of 2 July 2009, the official damage details from the Dhakuakhana sub-division are: Population affected – 95,500 No. of villages affected – 82 (81 undamaged but surrounded by water + 1 partially washed away) Area affected (in ha) – 16,466 Loss of cattle – 5 The water supply facility of the Public Water Supply Scheme has been submerg ed, which could lead to scarcity of potable drinking water The roads connecting Dhakunakhata with Machkhowa and Matmorah have been washed away due to the breach in the embankment GOVERNMENT RESPONSE As of 2 July 2009, the government response is: The State Government has so far provided the following relief supplies to the affected areas: • 1,500 quintals of rice • PHED has provided 3,000 water purifying sachets; • A medical team, headed by SDMO Dhakunakhata is visiting the affected villages for assessment. As of morning of 2 July, 50 % of the 100 metre breach on the embankment was restored . A 24 member team of National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) has been stationed in Lakhimpur, and is helping in the rescue operations Border Security Force (BSF) personnel are also fa cilitating rescue operations 2 Sit Rep - Assam Floods–03 July 2009 UN RESPONSE UNDP: The GOI-UNDP DRM programme staff are in close contact with the Lakhimpur District Administration. UNICEF: The State Office is in contact with the Lakhimpur District Administration and the State Disaster Manageme nt Cell in Guwahati and closely monitoring the situation. Assam Office has pre-positioned emergency supplies at the Indian Red Cross Warehouse in Guwahati, which can be handed over to State Government and/or local partners for relief . Partnerships are also in place with NGO networks in the state, including the Rural Volunteers Centre in Dhemaji district adjacent to Lakhimpur district. NGO RESPONSE Rural Volunteers Centre, Dhemaji district, Assam Rapid Assessment report of Flood in Dhakuakhana Sub -division of Lakhimpur district of Assam (2 July): Onset of situation: The flood water reached about 89 villages of 8 GPs of Dhakuakhana and Ghilamora blocks of Dhakuakhana sub-division of Lakhimpur district on mid-night of 30 June 2009 and completely inundated these villages on 1 July 2009 through the unplugged breach point in the embankment of river Brahmaputra, which is about 3 km wide opening since year 2007 -08. These are the same villages recurrently affected by floods and erosion since 2004 onwards. In the flood 2007 a major portion of these blocks were sand casted due to breaches in the embankment. The erosion was also an acute problem and around 400 families have been living on the embankment since 2004 as their villages were completed eroded away by the erosion. As the river Brahmaputra is flowing above the DL from Pashighat (the debounching point at Arunachal Pradesh) to Nimati ghat (at Jorhat district) and the trend is rising it is also reported by the IMD and CWC that the catchment area of river Brahmaputra in Arunachal Pradesh is receiving good rainfall so the flood water will more influx into the villages. Though the state government tried to construct and plug the embankment by using the geo -textile technology very lately so the embankment could not plugged. As per the office of sub-divisional commissioner's of Dhakuakhana sub-division the office could not gather the damage report due to very bad weather and communication is totally cut off. In the discussion with the CO -Dhakauhana also the relief officer for the sub- division informed they are compiling the reports received from the lat mandals and gaon burha-s and the relief materials will be released accordingly, they also informed that a team of the NDRF is placed in the sub -division to operate the rescue if required. The official sources have informed that the schools are closed in the affected villages due to announcement of summer vacation and the ICDS center will also remain closed for the time being. The sub-divisional chief medical officers also informed that they have established a network with the ASHA workers to inform any serious injury or death during flood according to information they have till the report prepared no any major injury or accident and death reported from the affected villages. The m edical official sources informed that the hospital, health centers and health sub -centers are under water but the ANM and other medical staff will be in the village till no further instruction is provided. The village level information of the affected villages collected from the CO, SDO and police sources. Name of the village GP Total families Population affected Matmora Matmora 111 621 Baghchuk Do 74 624 Janji Do 139 850 Lakhipur dangdhora Do 33 221 Rutali dangdhora Do 25 130 Santipur Do 52 720 Rupahi godang Do 40 285 Aonibari Do 84 712 Borkhamon Do 63 424 Khamon lagachu Do 51 332 Khamon Banhpora Do 72 300 Nakhamon Do 21 38 3 Sit Rep - Assam Floods–03 July 2009 1 no Pithyal Do 174 1074 2 no Pithyal Do 82 403 Ujani ekoriya Do 55 305 Maj ekoriya Do 30 220 Namoni ekoriya Do 61 356 Kolabika chumpora Do 24 114 Jugi chumpora Do 44 232 Muamari Do 67 412 Biahri gaon Do 37 NA 2 no Banhpora Do 74 NA Bhalukaguri Do 87 NA Towntiniali Do 93 NA Amlakhi Do 129 NA Bali Kherkota 83 502 Khamon Birina Do 120 650 Upar Khamon Do 32 201 1 no Bamunchuk Do 31 217 Kankandichuk Do 22 216 Sonitpur Do 20 160 Amakhi Dangdhora Do 133 860 Jamuguri Do 65 NA Saranchuk Do 87 NA Villages of Ghilamora block GP No. villages Family number Kekuri 11 villages 678 families Sonari chapori 9 villages 948 families Dangdhara 10 villages/27 habitats 1200 families Though people have been taking shelters in the following schools but g overnment authority did not declared formally them as relief camps, the information of these camps are as follows - Camps Nos. of families Nos of camp inmates Town MV school -46 families -329 population Town ME school -18 families -92 population Nagar Amkotia ME school -20 families -124 population Apart from these camps people are staying at the following locations as make shift camps - Matmora baghchuk camps on the embankment 9 villages 640 families Moderguri on the embankment 14 villages 900 families We visited 12 affected villages, two makeshift camps at Baghchuk and Mderguri and three camps in the schools and we observed and collected the following information with interaction with the affected communities: • The road communication has totally collapsed, the flood water is flowing over each of the road s. • Some of the affected communities have small family boats, the numbers vary form 3-10 per village and the sizes also vary. • The area used to be a good source of banana trees but due to sand dep osition and intensive use of the resources in last three years flood, the banana tree rafts are few but people are using wherever it is available. • Most of the families at a good distance from Dhakuakhana and embankment are still in their houses and they may need immediate rescue if flood water rises continuously. • All the services like hospital/sub -centre, post office, fair price shop, electricity, water supply have become defunct, schools are closed due to summer vacation. • The commonest water sources are the hand pumps – several are under water, but the hand pumps with raised plinth are successfully providing services. • Cattle are kept in the raised mound but they are suffering from shortage of food and space, they may also need rescue in some location like at Moderguri. • People in the relief camps are carrying utensils, firewood, and some food, in some families the food can support two days. The food production status of the sub -division is badly affected by the sand deposition and 4 Sit Rep - Assam Floods–03 July 2009 recurring flood thus though 90% of the families are cultivators but they are buying rice and other vegetables from the markets. The damage in the road communication thus may cause food shortage in the interior areas after three days. • Most of the families are reluctant to go the government relief camps, as no adequate provision has been made to the camp inmates, the relief camps are the last option for them.