Guwahati, July 04: One person drowned and at least one
lakh people affected as the flood situation in Assam turned critical on Saturday with upper and lower parts of the state coming under water overflowing from Brahmaputra river and its tributaries whose water level was above the danger mark at several places.
The water level of the river and its tributaries was about danger mark in Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Morigaon, Barpeta and Guwahati following incessant rain in catchment areas, official sources said here.
The situation at Majuli, the world's largest river island, was grave with almost the entire island under flood waters and a person was reported drowned today.
The situation in lower Assam districts of Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Dhubri and Baksa worsened with flood waters submerging nearly 50 villages and affecting more than one lakh people.
In the worst-hit districts of Lakhimpur, Dhemaji and Jorhat vast tracts of land were submerged following breaches in embankments due to heavy rainfall in the foothills of the Himalayas in Arunachal Pradesh.
In Dhemaji district, water of Semen river inundated vast tracts of land in Jonai sub-division while Gai and Jiadhol rivers were in spate, the sources said.
The situation in Lakhimpur was very grave following a breach in the 100m embankmnent constructed by the Malaysian company Sueskira, which caused submerging of 200 villages.
National Disaster Rescue Force had been pressed into service and were engaged in rescuing the affected people.
The current wave of flood has affected more than four lakh people in the state, the sources said.
Bureau Report
First Published: Saturday, July 04, 2009, 20:01