The Assam Government has issued a high alert across several districts following reports of extremely heavy rainfall and flash floods in Arunachal Pradesh's Lower Subansiri district, which are expected to have downstream impacts on river systems flowing into Assam.
According to official information received from the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Guwahati, and the Meteorological Centre, Itanagar, Yazali in Lower Subansiri recorded around 72.8 mm of rainfall during the last 24 hours. A significant portion of the rainfall occurred between 6:00 am and 9:00 am on June 24, with satellite and radar imagery indicating intense precipitation between 6:00 am and 7:30 am that triggered flash floods and a sharp rise in river discharge across upper catchment areas.
Authorities reported flash floods in the Panyor Lower Hydroelectric Project area, formerly known as the Ranganadi Hydroelectric Project. Due to the sudden surge in inflows, one spillway gate was opened to release excess water and ensure operational safety. Reports from Yazali indicated that flash floods accompanied by debris flow damaged houses and infrastructure in the affected region.
The Assam Government has warned that increased river flows from the upper catchments could lead to a substantial rise in water levels and flow velocity in the Brahmaputra and its tributaries. The flood wave is expected to first impact districts including Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Biswanath and Sonitpur before moving further downstream towards other districts and eventually reaching Dhubri over the next one to two days.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has directed all concerned departments and district administrations to remain on maximum alert. Following his instructions, the Chief Secretary of Assam reviewed the situation with relevant authorities and ordered immediate preparedness measures in potentially affected districts.
Emergency response agencies, including the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), have been placed on standby for deployment. Field-level officials have also been directed to closely monitor river conditions and vulnerable locations.
Residents living in low-lying and flood-prone areas have been advised to remain vigilant and move to safer locations whenever instructed by local authorities. The government has also urged citizens to avoid entering inundated areas and refrain from travelling in country boats or small vessels across the Brahmaputra and other rivers, as water currents are expected to strengthen significantly.
The state government said it is maintaining constant coordination with all concerned agencies and district administrations and will continue to issue advisories and updates in the interest of public safety as the situation evolves.
