Assam flood situation improves, but six more people die

GUWAHATI: The flood situation in Assam improved on Monday even though six more people lost their lives and almost 19 lakh people remained affected across 27 districts, an official bulletin said.

According to the daily flood report of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), one person each died at Bilasipara and Agamoni revenue circles of Dhubri district.

Besides, one person each drowned in flood waters at Balijana of Goalpara, Bokakhat of Golaghat, Demow of Sivasagar and Dhekiajuli of Golaghat, it added.

With this, the total number of people losing their lives in this year's flood, landslide and storm increased to 85.

The report said more than 18,80,700 people have been affected by the floods.

Dhubri is the worst hit with 4.75 lakh people affected, followed by Cachar with over 2.01 lakh affected people and Barpeta with nearly 1.36 lakh people hit, it added.

Till Sunday, almost 22.75 lakh people were suffering in the flood waters across 27 districts.

The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Guwahati said that a cyclonic circulation lies over Assam and its neighbourhood, because of which thunderstorms and lightning are very likely at isolated places in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.

The administration has been operating 543 relief camps and relief distribution centres in 25 districts, taking care of 3,45,500 displaced people at present.

Nearly 350 people have been rescued by civil administration, SDRF, NDRF and emergency services personnel from various parts of the state, the ASDMA said.

The authority has distributed 4,585.71 quintals of rice, 841.14 quintals of dal, 248.98 quintals of salt and 24,113.64 litres of mustard oil among the flood victims of the state during the last 24 hours.

At present, 3,154 villages are under water and 49,014.06 hectares of crop areas have been damaged across Assam, the ASDMA said.

Embankments, roads, bridges and other infrastructure have been damaged by flood waters in various parts of the state.

At present, the mighty Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger mark at Nimatighat, Tezpur, Guwahati, and Dhubri.

Its tributaries Subansiri at Badatighat, Burhidihing at Chenimari, Dikhou at Sivasagar, Disang at Nanglamuraghat, and Kopili at Dharamtul are flowing above the danger levels.

The Barak river is flowing above the danger mark at BP Ghat, while its tributaries Sankosh at Golokganj and Kushiyara at Karimganj town are also flowing above the danger marks, ASDMA said.

On account of widespread flooding, over 15,18,600 domestic animals and poultry have been affected across the state.

A total of 137 wild animals have died so far inside the famed Kaziranga National Park. The toll was at 129 on Sunday.

The dead animals include six rhinos, 123 hog deer, two sambar, a rhesus macaque and an otter, officials said.