- A man risked his life in Sivasagar to rescue a calf from neck-deep floodwater
- Sivasagar is among seven worst-affected Assam districts facing severe flooding
- Seventy-five deaths reported with 3.32 lakh people affected across seven districts
A man standing in neck-deep floodwater. A terrified calf clutched to his chest. Villagers trying to help them out.
The viral video of a man risking his life in Sivasagar district to save his cattle has become the defining image of the flood horror in Assam.
The clip, most likely shot from a field, shows the man wading into neck-deep water to rescue the calf. Some people extend a bamboo stick for him to hold on to for balance as he struggles to push the calf to safety.
After much effort, he manages to guide the animal to higher ground. The video is both heartwarming and heartbreaking, capturing the ordeal of people in Assam's flood-hit areas.
Sivasagar is among the seven worst-affected districts reeling under the deluge alongwith Charaideo, Golaghat, Jorhat, Nagaon, Sonitpur and Kamrup Metropolitan.
Read | Assam Floods: Why Extreme Rainfall Turns Into A Recurring Disaster
Seven more deaths on Tuesday pushed the toll in the Assam floods to 75, though the number of affected people came down to 3.32 lakh across seven districts, an official bulletin said.
A total of 622 villages have been impacted by severe flooding. Multiple agencies, including the Army, Air Force, NDRF, SDRF, Fire and Emergency Services and civil volunteers, continued to carry out relief and rescue operations.
A crop area of 45,341.98 hectares has been submerged, the bulletin said. Damage to houses, cow sheds, schools and anganwadi centres was also reported from across the affected districts, the ASDMA bulletin added.
Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday announced a comprehensive relief and rehabilitation package for affected families, including enhanced compensation, cash assistance, educational support and compensation for damaged property.
Read | Salman Khan Launches Relief Drive For Flood Victims In Assam: Report
Under the package, families of those who died in flood-related incidents will receive the statutory Rs 4 lakh ex gratia without the requirement of a post-mortem.
Families of persons missing for more than 30 days will also be eligible for Rs 4 lakh relief, subject to the prescribed legal process. In addition, the state government will provide an extra Rs 5 lakh from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund to the families of those killed in the flood, over and above the Rs 4 lakh compensation.
More than one lakh severely flood-affected families will receive Rs 15,000 each as immediate cash assistance to meet essential needs.
To minimise disruption to education, the government will provide book grants of Rs 1,000 for Higher Secondary students, Rs 3,000 for undergraduate students and Rs 5,000 for postgraduate students in severely flood-affected districts. Free textbooks will be provided to all school students, while financial assistance will also be extended for purchasing school uniforms.
Students who lost their Class X and XII certificates and mark sheets in the floods will receive duplicate documents free of cost.
