Assam Battles Relentless Floods; Viral Turtle Rescue Symbolises Hope Amid Crisis
GG News Bureau
Guwahati, 2nd June: Assam continues to reel under the impact of unrelenting floods and landslides triggered by days of incessant rainfall, claiming five lives in Guwahati and affecting thousands across the Northeast. The disaster has prompted widespread rescue efforts and has exposed the scale of logistical challenges faced by authorities.
Amid the grim situation, a video shared by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on X has emerged as a symbol of resilience and compassion. The clip shows locals rescuing a stranded turtle from a waterlogged street in Guwahati and safely releasing it into the Brahmaputra River.
“A turtle of hope amidst the dark clouds,” wrote the Chief Minister. “This turtle got lost in the flood in Guwahati, and locals and administration together released it back into the Brahmaputra. Caring for living beings even in difficult times – this is the identity of Assam,” he added.
The widely shared video shows men carefully lifting the turtle from a submerged lane, followed by a clip of the creature crawling along the riverbank and disappearing into the waters of the Brahmaputra.
Meanwhile, State Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah acknowledged the city’s logistical hurdles in addressing waterlogging, but assured that corrective steps were being implemented.
The situation turned historic in Silchar, Assam’s second largest city, which recorded 415.8 mm of rainfall in a single day on June 1 — breaking a 132-year-old record of 290.3 mm set in 1893.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the extreme weather conditions are due to a combination of upper-air cyclonic circulations and low-level troughs, with intense activity reported from Central Assam to Arunachal Pradesh.
The crisis, however, is not limited to Assam. Over the past three days, at least 34 people have died in floods and landslides across the northeastern states, including Manipur, Tripura, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and Meghalaya.
Mizoram recorded a staggering 1,102 per cent above-normal rainfall on May 31. Flash floods and landslides have affected 10 districts in Meghalaya. In Tripura, over 10,000 residents have been impacted by flash floods, while in Manipur, more than 3,300 homes have been damaged and over 19,000 people affected due to overflowing rivers and breached embankments.
As the region continues to grapple with nature’s fury, state administrations are intensifying relief and rescue operations, even as citizens display inspiring acts of kindness and courage amid the crisis.
