Paromita Editor

In a swift and coordinated river rescue operation, personnel from the 1st Battalion National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rescued a 57-year-old woman who fell into the Brahmaputra river from a ferry boat near the Gateway of Guwahati today.At around 11:05 am, the NDRF received an urgent distress alert reporting that a passenger had fallen into the river from a boat. In response, an NDRF team stationed at Madhyam Khanda Ghat, North Guwahati, and led by Inspector Anurag Kumar Singh, was immediately deployed with specialized water-rescue equipment.The team reached the initial incident site by 11:45 am and immediately initiated a downstream…

The Assam Health and Family Welfare Department and the Medical Education and Research Department organised the ‘Swasthya Chintan Shivir 2026’ at the Assam Administrative Staff College in Guwahati on Tuesday with the objective of making Assam’s healthcare system more advanced, modern, quality-driven and people-centric.The day-long brainstorming session focused on identifying new directions and strengthening the state’s healthcare, medical education, research and innovation ecosystem. Various critical issues related to healthcare delivery and institutional performance were discussed in detail.Addressing the inaugural session, Assam Minister for Health and Family Welfare and Medical Education and Research, Ashok Singhal highlighted the need to further strengthen…

A simple tea leaf is emerging as a promising source of livelihood for rural women in Karbi Anglong, as environmental organisation Aaranyak organised a one-day practical training programme to help nine Karbi women transform locally grown tea leaves into higher-value handmade Green Tea and Orthodox Tea. The initiative aims to create sustainable, home-based income opportunities for women while also preserving traditional tea-making knowledge. Women from Chandrasing Rongpi, Barking Engti, Sem Engti and Hemai Lekthe villages participated in the training. Many of them are already involved in tea cultivation and homestead farming. The programme focused on a simple but important question:…

For small-scale farmer Tankesar Das (name changed) of Bhotiapar in Sivasagar district, midnight on July 19, 2026, marked the beginning of a struggle that continues weeks after the devastating floods hit Assam. Tankesar, who lives with his wife and three children, realised around midnight that floodwaters were rapidly approaching his home. As water began entering nearby areas, frightened neighbours alerted one another. Within minutes, the water level rose sharply, leaving the family with little time to collect their belongings or prepare for evacuation. Tankesar, his wife and their three children rushed towards the main road, which was on higher ground,…

Assam Rifles, based on specific intelligence from a sister agency, conducted a joint operation with Mizoram Police in Ngopa in Saitual district of Mizoram and seized heroin valued at approximately Rs 8.85 crore recently. The joint team apprehended one individual and recovered 109 soap cases containing 1.180 kg of heroin, concealed in a modified chamber behind the vehicle’s rear number plate. One vehicle was also seized. The recovered contraband, vehicle and other items were handed over to police for further investigation and legal action under the NDPS Act.

A 103-year-old woman from Sonitpur district has set an inspiring example of compassion and humanity by extending financial assistance to families affected by the recent floods in Assam’s Sivasagar district. Smt. Konaklata Das, a resident of Majraimari village in Chirajuli, personally visited the office of the Sivasagar Deputy Commissioner after learning about the difficulties faced by residents of the Amguri Bagan area following the recent floods. She met Sivasagar Deputy Commissioner Mridul Yadav and donated Rs 2,000 each to 77 flood-affected families, using money from her lifelong savings. Despite being 103 years old, Das took the initiative to personally reach…

Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday released interim flood relief of Rs 47.93 crore through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to 31,951 flood-affected families in Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat and Golaghat districts. Each eligible family received Rs 15,000 as interim assistance. The latest disbursement benefited 22,657 families in Sivasagar, 6,028 in Charaideo, 2,324 in Jorhat and 942 in Golaghat. The funds were released at a programme held at Lok Sewa Bhawan. With the latest disbursement, the Assam government has provided a total of Rs 146.26 crore in interim assistance to 96,842 flood-affected families across the four districts. Earlier, on…

Assam Minister for Agriculture, Pijush Hazarika on Sunday underscored the fact that the state's agriculture sector could prosper if youths choose farming over government jobs. The Minister made the statement while addressing the 79th Foundation Day celebrations of the College of Agriculture, Assam Agricultural University (AAU), Jorhat, as the chief guest. Addressing the students, the Minister stated that it is not feasible for the government sector to provide jobs to all agriculture graduates. "Therefore, students should not rely solely on government jobs, but break away from conventional mindsets to establish themselves as successful farmers and agri-preneurs," he said. The Minister…

Assam filmmaker Rima Das has added another international honour to her record, with her latest feature film Not a Hero winning the Best Indie Film Award at the 2026 Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. The award was announced during the festival, where Not a Hero also marked its Australian premiere. This is the second time Das has received the honour, after previously winning the same award in 2019 for Bulbul Can Sing. Das has maintained a strong association with the Melbourne festival, with all five of her feature films having been screened there. She also contributed as a director to…

Ahead of the 80th Independence Day celebrations, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) of Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has strengthened security arrangements across the zone to ensure the safety and security of passengers, trains and railway property. “Heightened vigil is being maintained at its railway stations, on-board trains and across railway premises, with RPF personnel undertaking extensive patrolling and surveillance. Additional attention is being accorded to sensitive and vulnerable locations to prevent any untoward incident and ensure a safe and secure travel environment during the Independence Day period,” NFR chief public relations officer, Kapinjal Kishore Sharma informed. As part of the…