New Delhi: On Monday, Leader of Opposition and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited the flood-affected people in Assams Cachar district before heading to the violence-stricken Manipur later that day. Upon his arrival in Silchar, he was welcomed by Congress leaders from both Assam and Manipur at the airport. Rahul Gandhi proceeded to Fulertal, where he interacted with those displaced by floods and living in relief camps. This visit marks his first trip to the Northeast since assuming the role of Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.The relief camp lies along the route Rahul Gandhi will take to Jiribam district in Manipur, it was reported. His visit to Assam comes at a time when the state is grappling with severe floods caused by days of heavy rainfall, leading to landslides and swollen rivers. Approximately 2.27 million people across 28 districts have been impacted by the flooding.The extreme devastation caused by flooding in Assam is heartbreaking - with innocent children like 8-year old Avinash being taken away from us.My heartfelt condolences to all the bereaved families across the State.Assam Congress leaders apprised me of the situation on… pic.twitter.com/Nbx356QPEF— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 8, 2024After visiting Jiribam, Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to return to Silchar airport in Assam and then fly to Imphal for the subsequent phase of his Manipur tour. Since May 3 of last year, Manipur has been experiencing ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities, resulting in over 200 fatalities. Meanwhile, in Assam, 78 people have lost their lives this year due to floods, landslides, and storms.The districts affected by the floods include Kamrup, Nagaon, Cachar, Dhubri, Goalpara, Morigaon, Hailakandi, Bongaigaon, South Salmara, Dibrugarh, Karimganj, Lakhimpur, Hojai, Nalbari, Charaideo, Biswanath, Golaghat, Jorhat, Dhemaji, Barpeta, Sonitpur, Kokrajhar, Majuli, Kamrup (Metropolitan), Darrang, Sivasagar, Chirang, and Tinsukia. Nine rivers, including the Brahmaputra and Barak, as well as their tributaries, are flowing above the danger mark in several locations across the state.The Brahmaputra Rivers water levels were above the danger mark at Neamatighat, Tezpur, and Dhubri. However, the water levels in Guwahati were beginning to recede.#WATCH | Assam: The Water level in the Brahmaputra river in Guwahati reduces, and is now flowing below the danger level. pic.twitter.com/js0OF7hgYd— ANI (@ANI) July 8, 2024Prior to this, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited flood relief camps in the Kamrup district to evaluate the ongoing floods impact and oversee the distribution of aid to those affected.
