Floodwaters continue to recede in Assam; one dead

Although floodwaters continued to recede in Assam on Tuesday, it has claimed another life raising the toll to 39 while affecting nearly two lakh people in 13 districts. According to the State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), a total of 39 people were killed by floods while 24 died due to landslides.

Guwahati: The floodwaters continued to recede in Assam on Tuesday, even as the deluge claimed another life, raising the toll to 39 while affecting nearly two lakh people in 13 districts, the State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA).

One person died in Dhemaji district, taking the toll due to flood and landslides to 63 across the state. A total of 39 people were killed by floods while 24 died due to landslides, according to the ASDMA.

From 15 districts where nearly four lakh people were affected on Monday, an ASDMA bulletin said, the floodwaters ebbed from Kokrajhar, Dhubri and Kamrup, but entered Lakhimpur even as Dhemaji, Sivasagar, Biswanath, Chirang, Nalbari, Barpeta, Goalpara, Morigaon, Nagaon, Golaghat, Jorhat and Tinsukia districts remained inundated.

Altogether 19,886 hectares of agricultural land with standing crops are under the swirling waters in nine districts.

Barpeta is the district worst hit by the flood with around 1.95 lakh people suffering, followed by Goalpara with almost 29,000 people being hit, Dhemaji affecting over 15,000 and Morigaon with over 10,000, the bulletin said.

In the 33 relief camps and distribution centres operated by the administration across five districts, the ASDMA said, 1673 people are taking shelter currently with gratuitous relief materials such as rice, dal, salt and mustard oil.

Other relief materials such as tarpaulin, milk, potato, candle, drinking water, matchbox, biscuit, wheat bran, face mask and soap are also distributed among them.

The Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger mark at Neamatighat in Jorhat and Dhubri town, while its tributaries Disang at Nanglamuraghat in Sivasagar, Jia Bharali at NT Road Crossing in Sonitpur and Kopili at Dhansiri at Numaligarh in Golaghat.

The floods have damaged embankments, roads and many other infrastructures at various places in Dhemaji, Barpeta, Kokrajhar, Karbi Anglong, Dhemaji and Charaideo districts, the ASDMA said.

Massive erosions have been witnessed at different places of Bongaigaon, Sonitpur and Udalguri districts, it added.

In the Kaziranga National Park, home to one-horn Indian rhinos, floods have claimed lives of 47 animals.

PTI