One killed as storm lashes Assam

One person was killed in Assam’s Kamrup district as a massive storm lashed parts of the state, officials said on Tuesday.
A report from Chaygaon in Kamrup district, about 50 km from Guwahati, said a local youth was killed during a storm on Monday night.
The youth was taking shelter under a tree along with others when the rains created havoc at an ongoing Bihu cultural function.
A branch snapped and fell on the victim, leading to his death, eyewitnesses said.
A massive storm, combined with heavy showers and winds, lashed several parts of the state, including Goalpara and Bongaigaon, causing extensive damage to property and crops. Several parts of Guwahati remained inundated since Sunday evening, when torrential rains had hit the city with some respite in the downpour in the last 24 hours.
In Guwahati, a body was recovered floating in the Basistha river in Saukuchi area on Tuesday morning.
It is believed to be that of one Akhtar Ali, a youth of neighbouring Hatigaon area, who was reported missing since Sunday evening. The family members claimed the body to be his based on the clothes, though the formal identification process is yet to be completed, police said.
A woman, identified as Payal Nath, had died after falling into a drain in Maligaon area on Sunday, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) had said.
A magisterial enquiry has been ordered by the Kamrup (Metropolitan) district commissioner into the incident to fix responsibility.
Several parts of Guwahati, including worst-hit Rukminigaon, Anil Nagar and Nabin Nagar, continued to remain under water for the third day.
In places where the water had receded, people had a harrowing time cleaning their houses and premises.
The Guwahati chapter of All Assam Students Union (AASU) staged a protest in the city against the artificial flooding and demanded concrete measures to address it. The AASU questioned how crores of rupees in the name of Guwahati development have been spent over the years and maintained that the government should accept responsibility.
Guwahati had witnessed heavy rainfall through Sunday night and early Monday, leading to knee-deep water on most roads, with water levels reaching chest height in some areas.
Chief Secretary Ravi Kota, reviewing the situation, had asked the Guwahati Municipal Corporation, Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority, and the Water Resources Department to maintain 24×7 operational readiness to address waterlogging in the vulnerable areas.
The administration has alerted the residents in landslide-prone hilly areas to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions to avoid loss of life and property, given the likelihood of continued heavy rainfall, an official release had said on Monday.
“As per the forecast by the India Meteorological Department, occasional rain and thunderstorms are likely over the coming days. All agencies have been directed to remain on high alert,” it added.