Assam: Locals in Goalpara district take to fishing on waterlogged highway of deluge-hit state

As heavy rains continued to inundate parts of Assam, some locals chose to make good use of the submerged stretches of National Highway 17 near Krishnai town of Goalpara district. 

A video shows locals laying fishing nets on a flooded street as vehicular traffic snarled along the stretch of the road due to the waterlogging.

Further, locals have expressed dissatisfaction with the area’s sewage system which has resulted in artificial floods on the national highway, and as a mark of protest, the locals have resorted to fishing on the floodwaters themselves.

Also Read: Assam flood situation worsens, nearly 1.2 lakh people displaced

Locals alleged that the authorities haven't done anything to curb the menace of artificial flood on the national highway and fear that it could trigger a major mishap in the coming days as the road leading to Goalpara remains comparatively low.

The flood situation in Assam worsened dramatically on June 21, with about 1.2 lakh people stranded across ten districts. 

According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority's (ASDMA) daily flood report, floods affected about 1,19,800 people in Baksa, Barpeta, Darrang, Dhemaji, Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Lakhimpur, Nalbari, Sonitpur, and Udalguri districts. 

As per the ASDMA report, as on June 21, 1,19,830 people have been affected due to the ongoing flood.

According to the report, Nalbari is the most striking, with about 45,000 people affected, followed by Baksa with over 26,500 and Lakhimpur with over 25,000.