Assam floods: Toll climbs to 105 with three more deaths; 27.64 lakh affected in 26 districts

Guwahati: Flood-related incidents claimed three more lives in Assam, where the deluge has hit 27.64 lakh people in 26 of the 33 districts and destroyed houses, crops, roads and bridges at several places. Two persons died in Barpeta and one person in South Salmara district, taking the death toll to 105, including 26 in landslides, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority said in its daily flood report. Ninety animals have died in Kaziranga National Park this monsoon season, it said. Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna said there is no problem in flood management as separate teams of government employees have been deployed for flood and COVID-19 currently affecting the state. Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, Krishna also said, “There is also no problem regarding funds as enough funds have been released to the districts. Doctors are regularly visiting relief camps to monitor the health of the inmates there.” The ASDMA said the districts affected by floods are Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Biswanath, Sonitpur, Darrang, Baksa, Nalbari, Barpeta, Chirang, Bongaigaon, Kokrajhar, Dhubri, South Salmara, Goalpara, Kamrup, Kamrup Metropolitan, Morigaon, Nagaon, Golaghat, Jorhat, Majuli, Sivasagar, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Karbi Anglong and Cachar districts.

The number of people affected by floods on Friday was 35.76 lakh and district affected was 28 but the flood situation improved in Hojai and West Karbi Anglong districts. Dhubri was the worst-hit districtwith over 4.69 lakh people affected, followed by Goalpara with 4.49 lakh persons, Morigaon and Barpeta with more than 3.5 lakh people. SDRF, district administrations and local people have rescued 511 people during the last 24 hours. At least 2,678 villages are under water, the bulletin said, adding that 1,16,404 hectares of crop areas have been damaged by the deluge across the state. The ASDMA said authorities have set up 649 relief camps and distribution centres across 21 districts, where 47,465 displaced people are taking shelter currently. The authorities have distributed rice, dal, salt and mustard oil along with other relief materials such as tarpaulin, baby food, candle, match box, mosquito net, biscuit, soap, drinking water, cattle feed, mask and wheat bran. The Goalpara Deputy Commissioner Varnali Deka visited the flood-affected areas under Kharmuza Gaon Panchayat, Ramharirchar, Nakaliyapara char, Katlamari char, Barvita, Sonahara and various relief camps in the district on Saturday and inspected all the arrangements in the camps. The Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger mark at Neamatighat in Jorhat, Tezpur in Sonitpur district, Goalpara and Dhubri districts, while its tributaries Dhansiri at Numaligarh in Golaghat, Jia Bharali at NT Road Crossing in Sonitpur, Kopili at Dharamtul in Nagaon, Beki at Road Bridge in Barpeta, besides Kushiyara at Karimganj town. The report further said embankments, roads, bridges, culverts and many other infrastructure have been damaged at various places in Udalguri, Lakhimpur, Chirang, Darrang, Barpeta, Morigaon, Kamrup, Majuli, Nagaon and Bongaigaon districts. Massive erosions have also been witnessed at different places of Biswanath, Udalguri, Darrang and South Salmara districts, ASDMA said. The ASDMA bulletin said that a total of 59 of 223 camps at Kaziranga National Park have been affected by the deluge.