Assam floods: Death toll jumps to 28, over 33 lakh people across 25 districts affected

Guwahati: The flood situation in Assam deteriorated on Tuesday as the second wave of deluge affected 25 of its 32 districts claiming 10 more lives, besides displacing 33 lakh people. [caption id=“attachment_3808491” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] The army was assisting the civil administration in rescue and relief operations as the Brahmaputra river and its tributaries were flowing above their danger levels snapping surface communications in many parts of the state. Three persons died in Morigaon district, one each in Dhemaji, Darrang, Kokrajhar, Dhubri, Goalpara, Nagaon and Dibrugarh districts taking the toll to 28. According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) here, the toll in flood-related incidents this year now stands at 112. Thirty-three lakh people were affected in 25 districts, including Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Biswanath, Sonitpur, Darrang, Baksa, Nalbari, Barpeta and Bongaigaon. Dhemaji district in upper Assam is the worst-hit where nearly one lakh people were affected. Flood water is flowing over the roofs of houses in many areas, the ASDMA said. As flood waters were flowing over National Highway 37, communication between upper and lower Assam have snapped. Vehicles were stranded on the highway and being diverted via Nagaland, official sources said. According to a defence spokesperson, troops of Gajraj Corps were involved in relief and rescue operations in Nagaon and other districts of lower Assam. The army’s flood relief columns are involved in relief and rescue operations in Purabheti and Jaklabandha. They have established liaison with the state administration and are coordinating relief operations with them, he said. Army vehicles are assisting the civil administration in ferrying rations and other provisions to the relief camps, the spokesperson said, adding the commanders of the relief force are interacting regularly with the deputy commissioners of the affected districts. District administration sources said the army was assisting them in air dropping food packets and other relief items in the flood-hit areas. Around 1.83 lakh hectares of standing crops has been inundated with Morigaon being the worst-affected, followed by Kokrajhar, the ASDMA report said, adding the deluge has affected at least 1.8 lakh domestic animals. The district administrations have set up 315 relief camps where 1.68 lakh people are taking shelter. The SDRF and NDRF have deployed 232 boats so far and rescued more than 14,000 people, the ASDMA said. Waters of the Brahmaputra river were flowing above the danger mark at Guwahati, Nimatighat in Jorhat, Tezpur in Sonitpur, Goalpara and Dhubri towns. The Burhidehing river is flowing above the danger mark at Khowang in Dibrugarh district, the Dhansiri river at Numaligarh in Golaghat, the Jia Bharali river at NT Road Crossing in Sonitpur, and the Puthimari river at NH Road Crossing in Kamrup. The overflowing waters of the rivers have damaged embankments, roads, bridges and other infrastructures in a number of districts including, Dhemaji, Sonitpur, Darrang, Nalbari, Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Morigaon, Nagaon, Golaghat, Biswanath and Chirang districts. The district administrations have set up 315 relief camps where 1.68 lakh people are taking shelter. The SDRF and NDRF have deployed 232 boats so far and rescued more than 14,000 people, the ASDMA said. With a majority areas under Kaziranga National Park, Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary and Lawkhua Wildlife Sanctuary inundated, a large number of animals, including rhinos, were taking shelter in the highlands or have moved to safer areas across the hills, the forest department said.