The flood situation has worsened in the state of Assam, India, where authorities report over 400,000 people are now affected across 1,089 villages in 26 districts. Rivers are at record high levels in Nagaon district.
Heavy rain, flooding and landslides have also affected other parts of the region, including Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Meghalaya states in India, and Sylhet Division in Bangladesh.
Assam, India
Heavy rain, flooding and landslides have affected Assam since 13 May 2022. Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) reported 24,681 people affected by floods in 94 villages across the districts of Cachar, Dhemaji, Hojai, Karbi Anglong West, Nagaon and Kamrup. Three people lost their lives in a landslide in Dima Hasao district. The worst of the flooding occurred in Cachar district where the Barak River broke its banks.
Flooding has continued or worsened in areas of the state since then, and as of 17 May, ASDMA reported 403,352 people were affected, including 96,697 in Cachar, 88,420 in Hojai, 58,975 in Nagaon and 56,960 in Darrang.
Over 170 relief camps have been set up and were housing 39,558 displaced people as of 17 May, including 31,111 in Hojai and 7,589 in Cachar.
Further fatalities have also been reported in the state as a result of the heavy rain and flooding, including 2 fatalities and 3 missing in Cachar and one fatality in Udalguri.
India's Central Water Commission said the Kopili River at Kampur in Nagaon reached its highest ever levels on 17 May 2022, standing at 62.07 metres, well above the danger mark of 60.5 metres, and above the previous record high of 61.79 metres set in July 2004.
Arunachal Pradesh, India
India's National Disaster Response Force reported landslides triggered by incessant rainfall killed three members of a family in Itanagar in the state of Arunachal Pradesh on 16 May 2022. Other landslides in the area caused damage to houses. Two workers died after a landslide buried part of a road near Itanagar.
Meghalaya, India
Local media reported heavy rain caused flooding and damages in areas of Meghalaya state from 12 May. One person died in a landslide in Jongksha village in Mawkynrew subdivision of East Khasi Hills district. Another died after rain caused a tree to fall in Ri-Bhoi district.
On 14 May officials reported one person drowned in a swollen river in East Khasi Hills district and another person was reported missing in the incident.
Nagaland, India
Heavy rainfall triggered several landslides in Peren District, Nagaland State, India, from 15 May 2022, causing multiple road blocks. Military personnel from the Assam Rifles were deployed to clear the debris.
Sylhet Division, Bangladesh
Local media in Bangladesh reported flooding in Sylhet Division after a prolonged period of heavy rainfall in Bangladesh and catchment areas in neighbouring India. As of 16 May the Surma and the Kushiara rivers were both above the danger mark.
Media said thousands of people in Zakigonj, Gowainghat, Jaintapur, and Companiganj upazilas (districts) have been affected, with more flooding expected, in particular in Jaintapur. Road access has been cut in some areas. Sylhet District Administration had allocated 79 tons of rice for those affected by the floods.
The flood situation in Assam deteriorated on Thursday with one more person losing his life and nearly 7.18 lakh people in 27 districts remaining affected by the deluge, an official bulletin said.
According to the daily flood report of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), one person drowned in Kampur revenue circle of Nagaon district.
Besides, two more persons are reported to be missing at Kampur, it said.
With this, the total number of people losing their lives in this year's flood and landslides has gone up to 10 across the state.
ASDMA said that more than 7,17,500 people are hit due to floods in Bajali, Baksa, Barpeta, Biswanath, Bongaigaon, Cachar, Darrang, Dhemaji, Dhubri, Dibrugarh, Dima Hasao, Goalpara, Hailakandi, Hojai, Kamrup, Kamrup Metropolitan, Karbi Anglong West, Karimganj, Kokrajhar, Lakhimpur, Majuli, Morigaon, Nagaon, Nalbari, Sonitpur and Udalguri districts.
Nagaon is the worst hit with over 3.31 lakh people suffering, followed by Cachar (1.6 lakh) and Hojai (97,300).
Till Wednesday, over 6.62 lakh people were affected in the deluge in 27 districts in the state.
At present, 1,790 villages have been inundated and 63,970.62 hectares of crop areas damaged across Assam, ASDMA said. It further said authorities are running 359 relief camps and distribution centres in 14 districts, where 80,298 people, including 12,855 children, are taking shelter.
The bulletin stated the Army, paramilitary forces, NDRF, SDRF, civil administration, trained volunteers, Fire and Emergency Services and local people have evacuated 7,334 people from various flood-hit areas using boats and helicopters.
The authorities have distributed 7,077.56 quintals of rice, dal and salt, 6,020.90 litres of mustard oil, 2,218.28 quintals of cattle feed and other flood relief items.
Air Force helicopter services continued in Dima Hasao, which is completely cut off from the rest of the country, for emergency airlift of stranded passengers and supply of essential food grains, officials said.
"A team of 20 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel with all necessary equipment have been air transported today from Guwahati to Haflong, Dima Hasao for further search and rescue operation of the stranded people," ASDMA said in a statement.
Massive erosions have been witnessed in Bajali, Baksa, Barpeta, Biswanath, Bongaigaon, Charaideo, Dhubri, Goalpara, Kamrup, Kamrup Metropolitan, Lakhimpur, Majuli, Nalbari, Sivasagar, Sonitpur, South Salmara, Tamulpur, Tinsukia and Udalguri districts.
More landslides have taken place in the already devastated Dima Hasao district, causing more hurdles in the efforts to restore normalcy in the hill district.
Embankments, roads, bridges and other infrastructure have been damaged by flood waters in Morigaon, Udalguri, Darrang, Karbi Anglong West, Biswanath, Barpeta, Cachar, Dhemaji, Goalpara, Hailakandi, Nagaon, Lakhimpur, Nalbari, Sonitpur, Bajali, Dibrugarh, Hojai, Kamrup, Kokrajhar and Majuli, ASDMA said.
A total of 3,13,712 domestic animals and poultry have been affected in the deluge across 13 districts, it added.
The mighty Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger mark at Nimatighat, while its tributaries Kopili at Dharamtul and Kampur, and Disang at Nanglamuraghat are flowing above the danger levels, the bulletin stated.
No amount of planning will save those poor souls who call India home, Earth's weather will turn India into a swamp and those processes are already in action.
Comment: UPDATE MAY 19
Press Trust Of India reports: Earlier report: India - 5 fatalities after heavy rain, floods and landslides in Assam and Meghalaya - 2 feet of rain in 3 days