New Delhi: The Army has rescued 571 people stranded across flood-affected villages in Upper Assam, as swollen rivers and flash floods triggered by heavy rain over neighbouring Nagaland continue to submerge homes, crops and infrastructure in the region. Flood-relief columns from the Spear Corps launched a round-the-clock rescue operation on Sunday under Operation Jal Rahat.
Three teams comprising 45 personnel were deployed to the worst-hit districts of Sivasagar, Charaideo and Jorhat, working alongside the Assam state government and district authorities.
The Army’s operation is part of a broader emergency response now under way across Upper Assam. According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority, more than 1.7 lakh people across 12 districts – including Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Golaghat and Tinsukia – have been affected by the current spell of flooding, with the toll from this year’s floods in the state standing at five.
The Central Water Commission has reported the Desang river at Desangpani flowing above its previous highest recorded level, while the Dikhow, Buridehing, Brahmaputra and Dhansiri (South) rivers remain above the danger mark or in severe flood. More than 580 villages across 30 revenue circles have been affected, and over 10,000 hectares of cropland has gone under water. Rail connectivity between Dimapur and Dibrugarh has also been disrupted.
The Assam chief minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, has said the state government is monitoring the situation and has assured affected families of full support, and the state has placed the Army and the Air Force on standby to support relief work.
Troops used motorboats fitted with engineering equipment and emergency medical kits to reach villages cut off by fast-moving floodwater. Rescue teams moved door to door to evacuate children, elderly residents and livestock, while also providing on-the-spot medical aid and distributing food and essential supplies to stranded families.
“Beyond safeguarding our national borders, our priority remains serving our citizens during catastrophic emergencies,” a military official involved in the relief effort said.
The Army’s deployment comes as Assam faces another challenging monsoon season. Annual flooding in the state, driven largely by heavy rainfall over the Brahmaputra basin and its tributaries, frequently affects millions of people, damages infrastructure, destroys crops, and forces large-scale evacuations. Upper Assam has been among the regions worst affected during the current spell of heavy rain.
The Indian Army, particularly formations under the Spear Corps based in the northeast, has regularly been called upon to support civil authorities during floods, landslides, earthquakes, and other natural disasters. Such operations typically involve rescue, evacuation, medical assistance, restoration of connectivity, and the delivery of relief supplies to inaccessible areas.
The rescue effort in Upper Assam continues, with troops maintaining coordination with civil administration as authorities monitor river levels for signs of stabilization.