'Share flood updates with me': Akhil Gogoi issues WhatsApp helpline, seeks Army and IAF rescue for stranded people in Sivasagar
Akhil Gogoi asked Sivasagar residents to send flood updates and rescue requests to his WhatsApp helpline. He said the state had been urged to speed up relief, assess damage and keep evacuation support ready.
- Jul 20, 2026,
- Updated Jul 20, 2026, 11:07 AM IST
- He said he stayed in touch with residents and officials all day
- An urgent memorandum sought rescue operations, relief camps and damage assessment
- Incessant Assam rain and a Nagaland cloudburst worsened flooding across constituency
As unprecedented floods continue to inundate large parts of Sivasagar constituency, Raijor Dal president and Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi on Sunday, July 19, appealed to residents to stay in touch with him and share updates on the flood situation and rescue requirements through a dedicated WhatsApp helpline.
Addressing the people of Sivasagar, Gogoi said he had been in constant contact throughout the day with flood-affected residents and senior officials to coordinate rescue and relief efforts.
He urged people to send updates about flooding in their villages or localities, as well as requests for rescue and relief assistance, to his WhatsApp number 8822424271 (WhatsApp messages only).
"I have been in constant touch with flood-affected residents throughout the day. Residents can send information regarding the flood situation in their locality or village, along with requests for rescue and relief assistance, to my WhatsApp number," Gogoi said in a public appeal.
The MLA said he had been in regular communication with officials of the Sivasagar District Disaster Management Authority, the District Commissioner, the Additional District Commissioner, officials of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), Additional Chief Secretary L. Suisei Changsan, Disaster Management Minister Keshab Mahanta and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
He said he had submitted an urgent memorandum to the Chief Minister seeking immediate rescue operations, the setting up of relief camps, timely distribution of relief materials and an urgent assessment of the damage caused by the floods.
In the memorandum, Gogoi said incessant rainfall across Assam and a cloudburst in neighbouring Nagaland had triggered one of the worst floods ever witnessed in Sivasagar constituency, inundating several villages and parts of Sivasagar town.
He said floodwaters had risen rapidly, cutting off transport and communication links and leaving many people stranded in villages such as Kolgaon and Habichuk in Rangagarah village under the Dulakakharia Panchayat.
Describing the situation as critical, Gogoi urged the state government to immediately deploy aerial rescue operations, saying the water level had risen to such an extent that people trapped in several villages needed to be airlifted.
According to Gogoi, the Chief Minister and the Additional Chief Secretary responded promptly to his request and informed him that the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force had been alerted to assist in evacuation and rescue operations if required.
He also appealed to all Raijor Dal office-bearers and workers to stand by the flood-affected people and extend every possible assistance during the ongoing crisis.
