Flood waters continue to recede in Assam; one dead

The situation in Assam improved on Wednesday as flood waters receded from a district, but the deluge claimed another life, raising the death toll to 40, the State Disaster Management Authority said. Over 1.7 lakh people across 12 districts have been affected by the flood waters, the ASDMA said. On Tuesday, nearly two lakh people were affected in 13 districts but the flood receded from Jorhat district on Wednesday.

One person died in Barpeta district, taking the death toll due to flood and landslides to 64 across the state, according to the daily flood report of the ASDMA. Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Charaideo, Biswanath, Chirang, Nalbari, Barpeta, Goalpara, Morigaon, Nagaon, Golaghat and Tinsukia districts remain submerged, the ASDMA said.

Barpeta is the worst-hit where around 65,500 people have been affected, followed by Dhemaji where almost 48,500 people have been hit and Goalpara where nearly 28,000 are suffering. The Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger mark at Nimatighat in Jorhat and Dhubri town. The Disang is flowing above the danger mark at Nanglamuraghat in Sivasagar, the Dhansiri at Numaligarh in Golaghat and the Jia Bharali at NT Road Crossing in Sonitpur. At present, 348 villages are under water and 26,910.99 hectares of crop area has been damaged, the ASDMA said.

Thirty-five relief camps and distribution centres are being run by the administration across five districts, where 1,095 people are taking shelter currently. The authorities are distributing rice, dal, salt and mustard oil along with tarpaulin, drinking water, face mask and soap among the people. The floods have damaged embankments, roads and other infrastructure in Goalpara, Barpeta, Majuli and Lakhimpur districts, the ASDMA said. Massive erosions have been witnessed at different places in Majuli and Bongaigaon districts. In the Kaziranga National Park, the home to one-horned Indian rhinos, the floods have claimed lives of 48 animals.