Assam flood situation improves: 22.17 lakh affected

GUWAHATI: Assam's flood situation improved on Saturday as the number of affected people declined to 22.17 lakh from the previous day's 29.70 lakh with the death of one more person that took the toll to 174, officials said.

The situation in Silchar town in Cachar district, which remained submerged for nearly two weeks, is also improving.

An Inter-Ministerial team, after completing their visit to some of the flood-affected districts to assess the damage, held a meeting here with Chief Secretary Jishnu Barua and other stakeholders.

Barua requested the team members to submit their report at the earliest to the Centre so that the state government can get more central funds quickly, an official release said.

Most of the rivers are maintaining a receding trend though the Brahmaputra, Kopili, Disang, Buridihing and the Barak are flowing above the danger mark at several places.

After one person died due to the flood in Cachar district, the toll increased to 174, according to the bulletin issued by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA).

The Cachar district administration is taking steps to pump out water from the clogged areas.

Waterlogging, however, remained in the severely affected areas of the district headquarter town which witnessed unprecedented flooding following the breach in the dyke over River Barak at Bethkundi.

One person has been arrested for the breach which the authorities claimed was allegedly done by miscreants and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma described the flood there as ''man-made''.

A case has been filed and the CID was investigating the matter.

According to the ASDMA bulletin, 1934 villages under 77 revenue circles have been affected across the state while 2,77,355 people have taken shelter in 404 relief camps. Relief materials were distributed from 138 delivery points among people who have not taken shelter in relief camps.

A crop area of 50,741.18 hectares has been inundated while 34,242 animals were washed away and 7,81,780 were affected.

In Kaziranga National Park, 32 camps have been inundated by flood water while in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, 10 camps were flooded.

Large scale erosion took place in several districts. A landslide was also reported from Hailakandi but there was no casualty, the bulletin stated.