GUWAHATI (UCAN): Caritas India and its partner organisations have been carrying out relief operations in India’s northeastern state of Assam after it was devastated by floods. It has been active in the worst-affected districts of Karbi Anlong, Hojai and Cachar, falling under the jurisdictions of the Archdiocese of Guwahati and the dioceses of Diphu and Aizawl, according to Jonas Lakra, the agency’s team leader for disaster management.
Lakra said flood relief operations were launched in the second week of June with food and nutrition, water sanitation and hygiene needs as well as shelter and non-food item support being distributed in Hojai district. Kits include food, water, dry rations and medicine along with an emergency shelter.
“Our response prioritises people with disabilities, children, single women and the elderly as well as tribal and other backward communities. To date, we were able to reach more than 3,500 people,” Lakra explained.
Jirsong Asong [association of friends in the local Karbi language], the social service wing of the Diocese of Diphu, has been helping families in Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills.
Our response prioritises people with disabilities, children, single women and the elderly as well as tribal and other backward communities. To date, we were able to reach more than 3,500 people
Jonas Lakra
“We were able to help more than 200 Catholic families. People here are mostly poor and some have lost everything. We are basically trying to provide food, but once funds come we will focus on shelter and medicine,” Father Thankachen Joseph, director of Jirsong said.
Father Joseph described the flood situation as really bad. “We account for the highest number of casualties and damage to crops and livestock,” he said, adding that so far no help from the government or non-government sources had reached affected people.
According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority [ASDMA], more than five million people across 32 of 36 districts were affected by the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers inundating vast areas of land after incessant rains in mid-June.
The death toll due to the floods since mid-May had touched 101 and rescue operations were still underway, ASDMA said.
The flood situation in the three districts of Barak Valley—Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi—remained critical as the water levels of the Barak and Kushiara rivers continued to rise, officials said on June 22.
Rescue and relief operations were hampered as rains continued, affecting 4,941 villages and forcing 271,000 people to take shelter in 845 relief camps.
