Caritas India, the social service wing of the Catholic Church in the country, has geared up for rescue and relief work in Assam state in the northeast, which has been badly hit by floods. The media reported 46 deaths on July 4 while a report from the Assam State Disaster Manage-ment Authority (ASDMA) said the floods had affected over 1.6 million people in 2,800 villages across 29 districts in the state. Thousands of people were evacuated and sheltered in relief camps as heavy rainfall damaged homes and civic infrastructure. The worst affected districts are Nagaon and Darrang in central Assam and Karimganj in the Barak valley, reports said. The Assam government on July 4 issued an alert in Kamrup district as major rivers, including the Brahmaputra, Digaru and Kollong, were flowing above the danger mark. “Our team is ready. At present, we are assessing the severity of the situation with the help of our NGO network,” Jonas Lakra, zonal program lead of Caritas India in Northeast India told. He said the flood situation was grim and the Caritas team would begin work “as soon as we get the green signal from the government.” At present, government agencies are busy with rescue operations and setting up relief camps. A total of 181 relief camps and 334 relief distribution centers have been set up for the 25,744 displaced people so far. Lakra said the assessment carried out by the NGO network revealed loss and damage to houses, businesses, schools, water, electricity and road infrastructures. “This is also time for paddy cultivation but swathes of agricultural land is inundated. This will mean a huge loss for farmers,” he added. Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on July 4 assured the people that the flood situation was “under control.” He, however, added that “everything depends on the weather conditions during the next few days.” The flood-affected people are being provided relief and plans are being drawn up for their rehabilitation along with the repair of damaged infrastructure, the chief minister said.