Assam's Dhemaji Drowned: Floods Halt Trains, Thousands Displaced Amid Heavy Monsoon

The first wave of monsoon floods has hit Assam hard, with Dhemaji district bearing the brunt as over 15,000 people from 69 villages find themselves displaced and grappling with severe disruption. A crucial railway bridge over the Simen River has been severely damaged by relentless riverbank erosion, forcing the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) to suspend train services on the vital Archipathar-Simen Chapari route indefinitely, effectively cutting off a key transport link in the region. This unfolding crisis is a direct consequence of over 110 mm of incessant rainfall in Dhemaji and its upstream areas, including parts of neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh, causing the Brahmaputra River and its tributaries like the Dikari and Disang to swell dangerously. The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) reports that floodwaters have submerged 96 villages, inundated nearly 1,690 hectares of farmland, and affected over 48,000 livestock across six districts, highlighting a widespread humanitarian and agricultural emergency. Both Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are closely monitoring the situation, with Shah assuring the state of full central support for relief efforts. With relief and rescue operations in full swing by NDRF and SDRF teams, the immediate focus remains on evacuating stranded residents and providing essential aid. Water Resources Minister Susanta Borgohain and Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Keshab Mahanta have been stationed in Dhemaji to oversee the ground response directly. However, with forecasts of continued heavy rainfall, authorities are on high alert, bracing for a potential worsening of the situation as river levels remain elevated and the risk of further erosion and inundation looms large.