Assam Flood: 27.64 lakh people affected in 26 districts, death toll rises to 79

Guwahati: The Assam flood had claimed three more lives on Saturday (July 18, 2020) and has affected nearly 27.64 lakh people in 26 of the 33 districts of the state. The flood has caused the destruction of houses, crops, roads and bridges at several places.

Out of the three new fatalities reported, two persons died in Barpeta and one person in South Salmara district, taking the death toll to 79 as per the Assam State Disaster Management Authority. The authority data also reported a total of 26 landslides in its daily report on the flood situation.

Ninety animals have died in Kaziranga National Park this monsoon season, it said.

Meanwhile, Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna assured that 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.

The names of districts affected by floods include - 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 is the worst hit with 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 underwater, 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 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.

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. 

(With agency input)