Sphere India Unified Response Strategy ASSAM FLOODS SITUATION REPORT July 3, 2009 PART 1: SITUATION REPORT: The 2,906-km long Brahmaputra is one of Asia's largest rivers. For its first 1,625 km it traverses through Tibet, the next 918 km in India, and the remaining 363 km through Bangladesh before reaching the Bay of Bengal. Every year the floods in Assam leave a trail of destruction, washing away villages, submerging paddy fields, drowning livestock and causing loss of human life and property. In 2004, more than 200 people were killed in floods in Assam - the worst flooding in recent years. In July 2009, flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains in Assam have displaced an estimated 200,000 people in the past two days with the state government sounding an alert as more than 300 villages were inundated. "Four districts of Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Jorhat and Nagaon were hit by the current wave of flooding that has left about 200,000 people displaced in some 350-odd villages during the past two days," said Assam Revenue and Rehabilitation Minister Bhumidhar Barman. Nearly 300 villages with a combined population of about 1 lakh have been affected by the breach in Laxmipur, which is about 400 kilometres east of Guwahati, Assam’s capital. The embankment was under construction. A Malayasian company has been commissioned to build it using such technologies that could withstand the fury of the Brahmaputra during the monsoon season. Mr. Binod Pipersenia, Principal Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management, said that it was expected that the Malaysian company engaged in plugging the breach would be able finish the work before the onset of the flood, but this did not happen because of the unpredictability of the Brahmaputra. Floods during this time are routine in Assam, which sees incessant rains through the monsoon season. Elsewhere in the state, the Brahmaputra breached the embankment at Borbil in Majuli, the country’s largest river island located 300 kilometers east of Guwahati. In lower Assam, the Ai River created havoc in North Salmara sub-division in Bongaigaon district. Surging waters of the river inundated agricultural land in the district. The district administration has already acquisitioned the service of the rescue team from the National Disaster Response Force of the Border Security Force. Most of the displaced people are now lodged at makeshift shelters on raised embankments. There have been several breaches in embankments in Dhakhukhana area in the eastern Lakhimpur district; besides at least two dikes have been washed away Sphere India Secretariat, New Delhi (July 03, 2009) |Page 1 in South Asia's biggest river island of Majuli in Jorhat district, about 320 km east of Assam's main city of Guwahati. The situation is critical and we are trying our best to mitigate the woes of the people," said Flood Control Minister Prithvi Majhi. Warning: A Central Water Commission bulletin Friday said the main Brahmaputra River and its tributaries were flowing above the danger level in at least eight places and in full spate. In Majuli river-island, several villages in the upper reaches were inundated when floodwaters entered through a breach in an embankment. According to a Central Water Commission report, the Brahmaputra at Dibrugarh was flowing, with a falling trend, at 105.41 m against the danger level of 104.24 m, while at Nimatighat in Jorhat district the level was at 85.55 m against the danger level of 85.04 m with a rising trend. The river Puthimari at Puthimari village was flowing at 51.94 m against the danger level of 51.81 m with a falling trend, at 5 p.m on Thursday. An Assam government statement said a total land area of 3,000 hectares was affected. As the river Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger level 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. Impact Analysis: Affected Villages and Population: The village level information of the affected villages collected from the CO, SDO and police sources. Name of the Village Gram Panchayat Total Families Population Affected Matmora Matmora 111 621 Baghchuk 74 624 Janji 139 850 Lakhipur dangdhora 33 221 Rutali dangdhora 25 130 Santipur 52 720 Rupahi godang 40 285 Aonibari 84 712 Borkhamon 83 424 Khamon lagachu 51 332 Khamon Banhpora 72 300 Nakhamon 21 38 1 no Pithyal 174 1074 2 no Pithyal 82 403 Ujani ekoriya 55 305 Maj ekoriya 30 220 Namoni ekoriya 61 356 Sphere India Secretariat, New Delhi (July 03, 2009) |Page 2 Kolabika chumpora 24 114 Jugi chumpora 44 232 Muamari 67 412 Biahri gaon 37 NA 2 no Banhpora 74 NA Bhalukaguri 87 NA Towntiniali 93 NA Amlakhi 129 NA Bali 83 502 Khamon Birina 120 650 Upar Khamon 32 201 1 no Bamunchuk 31 217 Kankandichuk 22 216 Sonitpur 20 160 Amakhi Dangdhora 133 860 Jamuguri 65 NA Saranchuk 87 NA VILLAGES OF GHILAMORA BLOCK: Gram Panchayat No. of Villages Number of Families affected Kekuri 11 Villages 678 Sonari Chapori 9 Villages 948 Dangdhara 10 Villages/ 27 Habitats 1200 families Though people have been taking shelters in the following schools but government authority did not declared formally them as relief camps, the information of these camps are as follows- Camps No. of Families No. of Camp inmates Town MV school 46 families 329 population Town MV 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- Make Shift Camps No. of Families No. of Camp inmates Matmora baghchuk camps on 9 villages 640 families the embankment Moderguri on the embankment 14 villages 900 families Sphere India Secretariat, New Delhi (July 03, 2009) |Page 3 PHOTOGRAPHS: (Courtesy: Rural Volunteers Centre) Sphere India Secretariat, New Delhi (July 03, 2009) |Page 4 Sphere India Secretariat, New Delhi (July 03, 2009) |Page 5 Sphere India Secretariat, New Delhi (July 03, 2009) |Page 6 PART 2: RESPONSE BY HUMANITARIAN AGENCIES: IAG Assam: The IAG Assam has called for a meeting on June 3, 2009 and the second meeting is scheduled on June 10, 2009. The members of IAG are keeping a close watch on the situation and the immediate needs of the people. Rural Volunteers Centre: Contact Details: Rural Volunteers Centre, Po+Vill-Akajan, Via-Silapathar, District-Dhemaji.787059,Assam. India. Mobile-09435089275/09954957342; Phone-0091-3753-246306Fax-246353/245758 (if BSNL is functional) [email protected] and [email protected] Rural Volunteers Centre, Dhemaji District, Assam has undertaken rapid assessment of the situation to identify the affected villages, gram panchayats and the population living in the harm’s way. RVC has collated the information and circulated it for immediate attention. RVC staff have visited 12 affected villages, two makeshift camps at Baghchuk and Moderguri and three camps in the schools. The following are excerpts from RVC’s Rapid Assessment Report: 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 30th June 2009 and completely inundated these villages on 1st 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 nad 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 Sphere India Secretariat, New Delhi (July 03, 2009) |Page 7 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 medical 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.