Assam flood situation worsens; four more die in deluge, landslides

The flood situation in Assam deteriorated on Sunday with four more people losing their lives in the deluge and landslides, which have affected nearly 13 lakh people in 24 districts, a government report said.

One person each died at Kampur and Kaliabor revenue circles of Nagaon district due to the deluge, while two persons were killed in a landslide at Sonapur area, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said.

This flood and landslides have claimed 70 people's lives so far across the state with 44 having been killed in incidents related to the deluge and 26 dying in landslides.

After a landslide in Jorabat, Guwahati traffic police alerted people about diverting traffic.

"Traffic alert: Due to very heavy rainfall yesterday there was a landslide in Jorabat on NH 37, 11 mile near NRL petrol pump. Traffic diverted on one track for safety.

Concerned agencies on the job," it tweeted.

The ASDMA said 12.97 lakh people are hit due to the deluge in Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Biswanath, Sonitpur, Udalguri, Darrang, Baksa, Nalbari, Barpeta, Chirang, Bongaigaon, Kokrajhar, Dhubri, Goalpara, Kamrup, Morigaon, Nagaon, West Karbi Anglong, Golaghat, Jorhat, Majuli, Sivasagar, Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts.

Barpeta is the worst-hit district with around 3.84 lakh people affected, followed by Dhemaji with nearly 1.31 lakh people and Golaghat with more than 1.08 lakh people.

Till Saturday, more than 6.01 lakh people were hit by the deluge across 20 districts.

The ASDMA said 2,015 villages are under water and 82,546.82 hectares of crop areas have been damaged across Assam.

It further said authorities are running 224 relief camps and distribution centres across 16 districts, where 21,071 people are taking shelter currently.

Authorities have distributed a total of 4,709.48 quintals of rice, dal and salt, and 6,910.15 litres of mustard oil along with other relief materials such as tarpaulin, baby food, candle, match box, mosquito net, biscuit, soap, drinking water, cattle feed and wheat bran.

The Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger level at Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Dhubri and Goalpara cities, besides at Nimatighat in Jorhat and Tezpur in Sonitpur districts.

Its tributaries Subansiri at Badatighat in Lakhimpur, Burhidihing at Chenimari in Dibrugarh, Dhansiri at Numaligarh in Golaghat, Jia Bharali at NT Road Crossing in Sonitpur, Kopili at Kampur and Dharamtul in Nagaon, Puthimari at NH Road Crossing at Kamrup and Pagladiya at NT Road Crossing in Nalbari are flowing above the danger marks.

Some other tributaries such as Manas at NH Road Crossing in Barpeta, Beki at Road Bridge in Barpeta and Sankosh at Golokganj in Dhubri are also flowing above the danger levels.

Embankments, roads, bridges, culverts and many other infrastructures have been damaged at various places in Kokrajhar, Sivasagar, Darrang, Udalguri, Jorhat, Kamrup, Baksa, Dhemaji, Morigaon, Golaghat, Nalbari, Barpeta, Majuli, Nagaon, Hojai, Bongaigaon, West Karbi Anglong, Chirang and Tinsukia districts.

Massive erosions have been witnessed at different places of Biswanath, Sonitpur, Nagaon, Udalguri, Chirang and Baksa districts, the ASDMA said.

The deluge has affected 126 out of the 223 camps at the Kaziranga National Park, 24 out of the 25 camps at the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary and 28 out of the 40 camps at the Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park.

Forty-one animals have been killed, while 49 others were rescued in the Kaziranga National Park, the bulletin said.

The flood has also affected 12,27,662 domestic animals and poultry across the state in the last 24 hours, it added.

Image Credits: PTI