Assam flood situation deteriorates drastically, claims 5 lives

Guwahati: The flood situation in Assam worsened drastically on Saturday and claimed five lives while affecting nearly 11 lakh people across 19 districts.

According to a report by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), two persons died in Dhemaji and one each in Lakhimpur, Kokrajhar and Morigaon districts.

With these, the total number of persons who were killed in flood-related incidents across Assam this year rose to 89, including eight in Guwahati.

The ASDMA said 11 lakh people are affected in Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Biswanath, Sonitpur, Baksa, Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Chirang, Kokrajhar, Dhubri, South Salmara, Morigaon, Golaghat, Jorhat, Majuli, Sivasagar, Charaideo, Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts.

The ASDMA report said Dhubri is the worst affected where 1.92 lakh people have hit, followed by Dhemaji where 1.51 lakh people have been affected by the calamity.

Currently 1,752 villages are under water and over one lakh hectare crop area has been damaged, ASDMA said.

The flood has damaged embankments, roads, bridges and other infrastructures in Dhemaji, Darrang, Chirang, Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Charaideo, Dhubri, Tinsukia, Sivasagar, Majuli, Sonitpur, Lakhimpur, Barpeta, Baksa, Dima Hasao, Golaghat and Morigaon districts.

The authorities have opened 268 relief camps and distribution centres in 14 districts, where 63,797 people are taking shelter at present.

At least 2,600 people have been evacuated to safer places by SDRF and NDRF personnel in many districts.

The ASDMA said massive erosion have been witnessed at various places in Biswanath.

Brahmaputra is now flowing above the danger mark at Nimatighat in Jorhat, Dibrugarh town, Tezpur in Sonitpur and Dhubri town.

Other rivers like Burhidehing at Khowang in Dibrugarh, Subansiri at Badatighat in Lakhimpur, Dhansiri at Numaligarh in Golaghat, Jia Bharali at NT Road Crossing in Sonitpur, Puthimari at NH Road Crossing in Kamrup, Beki at Road Bridge in Barpeta, Gaurang at Kokrajhar town and Sankosh at Golokganj in Dhubri are also flowing above danger marks, it added.