Guwahati: The flood situation in Assam has taken a dire turn, claiming six lives over the past 24 hours. In Guwahati, the state’s largest city, the relentless search for eight-year-old Abhinash Sarkar continues. Abhinash slipped into a flooded drain three days ago, and his father, Hiralal Sarkar, has not given up hope. Armed with an iron rod, Hiralal has been tirelessly searching the sewage, but has only managed to find his son’s slippers. Displaying the pair, he lamented, “I have been searching with an iron rod and have managed to find my son’s sandals. I possibly cannot find him with the rod. The government has the machinery, they must find my boy.”
Hiralal handed over the slippers to the police for verification. Abhinash had slipped from his father’s scooter and fallen into the drain while they were returning home amid heavy rain on Thursday evening. Hiralal saw his son’s hand in the drain and dived in, but could not get a hold of him. Hiralal spent the night on the veranda of a shop and vowed he wouldn’t rest until he found his son. Since then, he has been wading through slush and garbage, wearing just a t-shirt and half-pants, in search of his boy.
The state authorities have launched a massive search operation involving multiple agencies to help Hiralal. Sniffer dogs, super suckers, and excavators have been deployed. An official stated that parts of the drain covered with concrete slabs in downstream areas are being lifted to trace the missing boy. Hiralal and his wife have also met Chief Minister Himanta Sarma, who has ordered the rescue teams to intensify their search operation.
The floods have left over 23 lakh people on the edge in Assam. In Guwahati, areas like Anil Nagar, Nabin Nagar, and Rukminigaon have been underwater for four consecutive days. The Brahmaputra River continues to flow above the danger level at several locations. So far this year, 58 people have lost their lives due to the floods in Assam.