Assam floods: Another victim takes death toll to 60; water level said to recede across state

Guwahati: The flood situation in Assam marginally improved on Sunday with the water level receding, amid reports of one more death and over 10 lakh people affected across 21 districts in the state. [caption id=“attachment_2925448” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of a rhino swimming through flood water in Kaziranga National Park. PTI[/caption] According to a report by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), one person died in Morigaon district, raising the death toll to 60 in this year’s flood related incidents. Eight of them have died in Guwahati alone, after the floods hit the state. The ASDMA said over 10 lakh people are currently affected in Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Biswanath, Darrang, Nalbari, Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Chirang, Kokrajhar, Dhubri, South almara, Goalpara, Morigaon, Nagaon, Karbi Anglong, Golaghat, Jorhat, Majuli, Sivasagar, Karimganj and Cachar districts. At the Kaziranga National Park, 38 percent of the area is under water, leaving some animals dead and some moving to nearby highlands. ASDMA said 1,512 villages are under water and nearly 50,000 hectares of crop area inundated. The worst affected is south Salmara, where over 3.07 lakh people have been affected by the deluge, followed by Dhubri with more than 1.88 lakh people marooned. Authorities are running 280 relief camps and distribution centres in 15 districts, where 22,837 persons are currently taking shelter. The government has distributed rice, dal, salt and mustard oil among the flood victims, the ASDMA said. Across the state, 10,99,141 animals and poultry have been affected by the flood waters, the agency said. Due to impact of the flood, many roads, embankments and bridges have been damaged in several districts, including Lakhimpur, Morigaon, Biswanath, Goalpara, Bongaigaon, Dhubri, Golaghat, Majuli, Sivasagar and Karimganj. Currently, the Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger mark at two places - Nimatighat in Jorhat and Dhubri town. Other rivers flowing above the danger mark include Dhansiri at Numaligarh, Barak at AP Ghat in Cachar and Badarpurghat in Karimganj, Katakhal at Matizuri in Hailakandi and Kushiyara at Karimganj town.