REGIONAL

GUWAHATI : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday offered full support to the Assam government in dealing with the ongoing flood havoc, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. In a post on X, Sarma said that Modi called him to enquire about the prevailing flood situation. “He sought an update on the extent of the devastation, the ongoing relief operations and the challenges we are confronting on the ground,” he added. Sarma said that he briefed the PM on the measures the state government is undertaking and its efforts to reach out to every affected family. “Expressing his deep condolences over the loss of lives and property, the Hon’ble Prime Minister assured the people of Assam that this calamity is being accorded the highest priority and the Government of India will extend every possible support to aid our relief, rehabilitation and rebuilding efforts,” he added. The people of Assam are deeply grateful to PM Modi for his reassurance and steadfast support during this difficult time, Sarma said. The flood situation in Assam remained grim on Saturday even as the water level has started to recede in some parts, while 61 people have died of the deluge and over 7.05 lakh people are affected in nine districts. (Source: PTI)    

GUWAHATI : A domesticated elephant was swept away from the Nagaland hills to the Brahmaputra Valley due to the raging floods, and it has been rescued and is being treated, Assam Forest Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah said on Saturday. The 53-year-old elephant was swept by the Dikhow River, a tributary of the Brahmaputra, from Namsang in Nagaland and it washed ashore at Bihubor in Assam’s Sivasagar district. The pachyderm was safely rescued on Friday and veterinary care was provided to it, the minister said. “As we continue to strengthen disaster response and animal welfare, our focus remains on ensuring that every life — human or animal — receives timely care during emergencies,” he said. The minister said the rescue reflected the dedication of frontline personnel, who work tirelessly during floods to safeguard wildlife and domesticated animals displaced by rising waters. Following the rescue, the elephant safely made its way to Balighat in Simaluguri, where it is currently resting under the supervision of the authorities. A veterinary team from the Nazira Veterinary Dispensary, supported by the Nazira Mobile Veterinary Unit, promptly reached the site to conduct a comprehensive health examination and provide immediate medical treatment. Veterinary experts have confirmed that the elephant will remain under continuous observation to ensure a full recovery from the physical stress caused by the flood. Baruah said, “Every monsoon presents immense challenges for both people and animals across the Northeast. Timely rescue operations, professional veterinary care and coordinated efforts by government agencies play a crucial role in reducing the impact of natural disasters on vulnerable wildlife and domesticated animals, reflecting Assam’s growing capacity for compassionate and effective disaster management.” He said that the state government’s vision is to build an Assam where disaster resilience goes hand-in-hand with compassion for all living beings. “Every successful rescue strengthens our commitment to protecting the state’s rich natural heritage while reaffirming that humanity is at its best when it extends care to those who cannot speak for themselves,” he added. The flood situation in Assam remained grim on Saturday even as the water level has started to recede in some parts. A total of 61 people have died due to the deluge and over 7.05 lakh people have been affected in nine districts, officials said. (Source: PTI)      

GUWAHATI : Union Minister and former Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal reviewed aid efforts at relief camps in flood-hit areas of the state and directed officials to ensure uninterrupted access to healthcare, food, drinking water and other essential services for the deluge-affected people.. He visited a couple of relief camps in Sivasagar district, interacted with displaced families and instructed officials to remain vigilant and ensure that no flood-affected family faces any hardship in accessing basic necessities. Sonowal told people at the relief camps that the Central and state governments were working closely to provide timely assistance to every affected person. “The Government of India stands firmly with the people of Assam during this challenging time. We remain committed to safeguarding every life and ensuring that relief, healthcare, food and safe drinking water continue to reach every family in need,” he added. “Natural disasters test our resilience, but they also bring out our spirit of unity and compassion. Together, with coordinated efforts of governments, voluntary organisations and our citizens, we shall overcome this difficult phase and help every affected family rebuild with dignity. Earlier in the day, Sonowal flagged off the Assam Olympic Association’s flood relief mission from Dibrugarh for families in Charaideo, Sivasagar and Jorhat districts, where several areas have been inundated. The flood situation in Assam remained grim on Saturday even as the water level has started to recede in some parts, while 61 people have died of the deluge and over 7.05 lakh people are affected in nine districts. (Source: PTI)      

GUWAHATI : Assam Police has busted a terror module linked to the Pakistan-based Shahzad Bhatti Network (SBN) and arrested three alleged operatives in the northeastern state, officials said on Saturday. Addressing a press conference here after a cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said this is the first time Pakistan-based suspected jihadi elements were caught in the state. “We have arrested three jihadis linked with Pakistan. So far, we have been arresting jihadis having links with Bangladesh. This is the first time we have nabbed jihadi elements having direct links with Pakistan,” he added. An Assam Police spokesperson said the Special Task Force (STF) conducted a coordinated operation on Friday with assistance from the district police of Dhubri, Chirang, and Barpeta. “During the operation, the STF apprehended one suspect each from Dhubri, Chirang and Barpeta districts,” he added. The operation also resulted in the seizure of five mobile phones, seven SIM cards, Aadhaar cards, bank passbooks, debit cards and incriminating documents, the official said. “Further investigation is in progress,” he added. Speaking about the exercise, STF Senior Superintendent of Police Pranab Kumar Pegu said the operation was launched on the basis of credible intelligence regarding the activities of the Shahzad Bhatti network. “The Pakistan-based terrorist-criminal network is allegedly involved in recruitment, online radicalisation, reconnaissance, logistics, espionage, illegal procurement of arms, establishment of sleeper cells and facilitation of terrorist activities in different parts of the country,” he added. According to the investigation and intelligence inputs forming part of the case, the network is alleged to operate in association with and under the directions of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) through Pakistan-based handlers and encrypted communication channels, Pegu said. “The network is associated with several front organisations, including Khalistan Armed Force (KAF), Punjab Sovereignty Alliance (PSA), Khalistan Liberation Army (KLA), Sher-e-Punjab Brigade (SPB), United Sikh Brotherhood (USB), Sikh Tigers of Khalistan (STK) and Tehrik-e-Taliban Hindustan (TTH),” he added. These groups are allegedly used to conceal the network’s operational structure and cross-border links, the SSP claimed. This year, the TTH claimed responsibility for two targeted killings of Punjab Police personnel on February 22 and May 24, he added. “The network’s activities in Assam first came to notice during an investigation in Nalbari district, leading to the arrest of an operative on May 22,” Pegu said. (Source: PTI)                      

GUWAHATI : The Assam government was faced with the issue of finding appropriate land for rehabilitating those rendered homeless by natural calamities despite having laws and policies for such allocations, a minister informed the Assembly on Friday. Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Keshab Mahanta, while replying to a private member’s resolution in the Assembly seeking rehabilitation of people rendered landless due to natural calamities, said various steps were being taken to address the issue, including survey of ‘char’ (riverine) areas. The minister said various legal provisions, including ‘The Assam Land and Revenue Regulation of 1886’, are already in place for allotment of plots to landless citizens. Moreover, different governments have also formulated various policies during their regimes for land allotment and many citizens have been rehabilitated, he added. Mahanta maintained that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has a sympathetic approach towards allotting land to the landless people, and cited the Assam Land Policy, 2019, which prioritises allocation of plots to those rendered homeless due to natural calamities. He added that the chief minister has suggested some amendments in the policy and work was underway on those. The minister said that finding government land for allotment is also an important part of rehabilitation. He claimed that available government land has been encroached, including some by landless people. Mahanta said that with the survey of the ‘char’ areas commencing, land allotment can be started in those parts after due processes are completed, and it will help in addressing the issue of rehabilitation to a large extent. Earlier, speaking during the discussion, Congress MLA Abdur Rahim Ahmed said short- as well as long-term measures are required to address the problem. He said ‘char’ dwellers are deprived of rehabilitation packages as they do not have land rights, and the departments concerned are hesitant to provide them with ‘erosion-affected’ certificates, which would help them in getting government benefits. Ahmed also maintained that the need to submit proof of being dwellers of the area for at least the last three generations is also a problem as there is no clarity on which papers will serve as legal proof. Echoing him, another Congress legislator, Jakir Hussain Sikdar, said that erosion-hit displaced people are often treated as foreigners in other parts of the state when they go to settle in those areas. “The government should provide these people with erosion-affected certificates and provide rehabilitation,” he said. Mehboob Muktar of Raijor Dal cited the economic hardships families face when they lose their homes to erosion and said that on top of it, they are branded as ‘foreigners’ and go through social and administrative injustices. Opposition AIUDF’s Mujibur Rahman and TMC’s Sherman Ali Ahmed, while highlighting the plight of the landless people, also criticised the Congress for not addressing the issue of rehabilitation when it was in power. (Source: PTI)    

KOHIMA : Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Friday announced that the state government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to relocate the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Training Centre to the Multi-Disciplinary Sports Complex (MDSC) in Dimapur. In a post on X, Rio said the MoU was signed in the presence of Advisor for Youth Resources and Sports Keoshu Yimkhiung, Sports Authority of India (SAI) Deputy Director General Manjushree Daya, and other dignitaries. According to the chief minister, the relocation marks “a significant milestone” in strengthening Nagaland’s sports ecosystem and creating greater opportunities for young athletes. Describing the Multi-Disciplinary Sports Complex as more than just a sports facility, Rio said it represents an investment in the state’s youth, a symbol of hope, and a foundation for sporting excellence in Nagaland. He said the shift would provide access to quality infrastructure, professional coaching, and the right opportunities for athletes to compete at the highest level. Rio thanked the Sports Authority of India for partnering with the state, stating that the initiative reflects the government’s commitment to building a vibrant sports ecosystem that connects every district and supports aspiring athletes. He added that the new facility would provide quality coaching and scientific support while strengthening the overall sports ecosystem in the Northeast. The chief minister also expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for prioritising sports as a means of youth empowerment. He acknowledged the support of Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State Raksha Khadse, and former Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, under whose leadership, he said, the initiative gained momentum. (Source: PTI)

GUWAHATI : Assam’s flood situation remained critical on Thursday with over 6.43 lakh people affected in 10 districts, while incessant rains threatened to aggravate the situation as several major rivers are already in spate, according to an official report. Union Home Minister Amit Shah called up Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to enquire about the situation, and said an inter-ministerial central team will visit the state within a day or two to assess the extent of damage in the deluge which left at least 41 people dead. Sarma said that 70 to 80 more people have been missing, and the toll is likely to increase. With waters from NEEPCO’s Doyang hydel power project in Nagaland being released following increasing water levels there, the government machinery in Assam is bracing up for a further rise in flood levels late on Thursday. The issue of devastation caused by the floods was raised in the Assembly for the second day, which saw Raijor Dal MLA Akhil Gogoi being suspended from the House for the day after he climbed atop his desk while protesting the Speaker’s rejection of his adjournment motion seeking a discussion on the flood situation. An Assam State Disaster Management (ASDMA) report said that 35 revenue circles and 889 villages in the 10 districts of Charaideo, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Hojai, Jorhat, Kamrup, Kamrup Metro, Karbi Anglong, Nagaon and Sivasagar continued to be affected. More than 6,43,350 people are reeling under the deluge on Thursday. Over 6.53 lakh people had been affected by the floods in 11 districts on July 22. The report said that 99 relief camps are operational, sheltering 24,596 people. A crop area of 24891.66 hectares also remained submerged. Major rivers flowing above the danger level are Buridihing at Khowang (Dibrugarh), Dikhou at Sivasagar, Disang at Nganglamuraghat (Sivasagar), Dhansiri at Numaligarh (Golaghat) and Kushiyara at Sribhumi. Multiple agencies, including the Army, Air Force, NDRF and SDRF, continued to carry out rescue and relief operations, evacuating stranded people and providing essential items in the water-logged areas. The chief minister, who was on a tour of the worst-hit eastern districts, said that the Union Home minister dialled him to enquire about the situation. “I received a call from Hon’ble Home Minister Shri @AmitShah ji. In view of the unprecedented flood situation in Assam, he informed me that an Inter-Ministerial Central Team will soon visit the state to assess the extent of the damage, and help determine the Central assistance required for rebuilding livelihoods,” Sarma said in a post on X. He expressed gratitude to Shah for standing by the people of Assam during this difficult time. “The flash floods, triggered by a cloudburst upstream, have wreaked havoc on the lives of our people,” the CM added. Later, speaking to reporters after inspecting a relief camp at Komarbondha in Golaghat district, Sarma said Shah informed him that a central team with officials drawn from all stakeholder ministries will come to the state “today or tomorrow”. He said the flood-affected people were facing a host of problems, with crop land submerged, important documents destroyed and poultry washed away. “The people are in a difficult situation, and the government will try to help them in all possible ways,” Sarma said. In another media interaction, Sarma expressed apprehension that 70 to 80 more people are missing and the death toll is likely to increase. He said water from a NEEPCO power project in Nagaland is being released due to rising levels, and precautions are being ensured in the downstream areas of Assam. He maintained that the release of water in a controlled manner from a reservoir in normal times does not create a major problem. The unprecedented flooding happened earlier this week due to water gushing down following a cloudburst in the neighbouring state, the CM added. “We have to live with the geography where waters from Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya create problems for us. As development happens in the hills, with more roads, industries, hill cutting, our problems have increased,” he said. In another post on X, the chief minister said, “cloudbursts upstream, coupled with localised heavy rainfall, 436 per cent above normal, have led to flooding in villages that have not seen such devastation in recent history”. Sarma said that the state government was working closely with various departments and the Centre to prepare a comprehensive long-term rehabilitation package for every affected family. “Last but not the least, once the immediate crisis subsides, we will begin a structured dialogue with neighbouring states to establish a stronger coordination mechanism that can better protect our people from the impact of upstream cloudbursts and similar calamities in the future,” he said. In the state Assembly, Gogoi raised the flood issue and sought time from Speaker Ranjeet Kumar Dass to allow him to speak on the scale of devastation in three eastern districts, requesting an adjournment motion to discuss the matter. The Speaker rejected the adjournment motion and said that a similar one was brought in by Congress on Wednesday, which was also rejected. On this, the opposition MLA started shouting and begged Dass to allow him to speak for two minutes. When Dass proceeded with the next item of business, Gogoi stood on his chair and continued raising slogans. As the Speaker ignored him, the MLA climbed on his desk and continued shouting. The Speaker immediately suspended the Raijor Dal president and asked the Marshals to take him out of the House, who had to lift the MLA out. (Source: PTI)    

KOHIMA : Assam’s Karbi Anglong and Nagaland’s Dimapur district administrations on Thursday reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining peace along the inter-state border through closer coordination, regular communication and joint confidence-building measures, an official said. A coordination meeting between the two district administrations was held at the Circuit House in Dimapur, attended by Karbi Anglong Deputy Commissioner Aranyak Saikia, senior civil officials, the Superintendent of Police and their counterparts from Dimapur, the official said. The meeting focused on strengthening coordination between the district administrations and police forces of both states to ensure that any emerging issues along the border are addressed promptly and peacefully. Officials from both sides noted that the longstanding cooperation between the Assam and Nagaland administrations, supported by timely intervention from the police, has helped prevent the escalation of border-related incidents and ensured the safety of residents in the affected areas. During the meeting, Assam revenue officials presented the historical and administrative background of the disputed areas, citing district boundary notifications, revenue records and census documents. They maintained that the villages concerned have long formed part of Assam’s notified administrative jurisdiction and have been included in electoral rolls and census operations for several decades. Despite their differing positions on the boundary issue, both sides agreed that maintaining peace on the ground remains the immediate priority. They stressed the importance of regular meetings, people-to-people engagement and mutual trust to prevent misunderstandings and resolve local issues before they escalate. As part of confidence-building measures, the meeting proposed the formation of a joint border monitoring committee comprising district officials, police personnel and representatives of border villages. The proposed committee would monitor developments, coordinate responses to incidents and facilitate dialogue between communities while maintaining the existing status quo until the boundary dispute is resolved by the competent authorities. The two administrations also agreed that visits to sensitive border locations should, as far as practicable, be conducted jointly by officials and police personnel from both states to promote transparency and avoid misunderstandings. The meeting concluded with both sides reiterating their commitment to sustained dialogue, coordinated action and continued cooperation to preserve peace and harmony along the Assam-Nagaland border. (Source: PTI)    

GUWAHATI : Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi on Thursday alleged that there was a “severe delay” in delivery of emergency rations, drinking water and other essential items to flood-affected people of the state. He urged the state government to provide an “honest account” of how many people have died in the deluge, while also ensuring that relief reaches all. “Assam is facing an epic humanitarian crisis. As of today, 41 people have lost their lives, many are missing. Thousands of people are without any homes and lakhs of people are living without dignity,” Gogoi said in a post on X. The Congress’ deputy leader in Lok Sabha said that during his visit to the worst-hit districts of Jorhat, Sivasagar and Charaideo over the past few days, he “witnessed the scale of damage and lack of support from the local administration first hand”. “There is a severe delay in delivering emergency rations, safe drinking water, phenyl, clothes and bleaching powder,” the Jorhat MP alleged. He requested the central government to send a delegation of technical experts along with the necessary equipment to help people rebuild their homes, and reclaim their daily agricultural activities. “The state government must immediately provide an honest account of how many people have lost their lives and ensure that relief reaches every affected home without further delay,” he said. Gogoi also lauded the “numerous groups of young people and Gen Z who have organised relief and are feeding hundreds of families on a daily basis”, and appealed to party workers and office bearers to provide all forms of assistance to villages and families in upper Assam. (Source: PTI)