Assam floods claim three more lives, 9.26 lakh affected
Image: PTI[/caption]GUWAHATI: Three more people lost their lives in Assam floods on Sunday, with 23 districts and over 9.26 lakh being affected by the deluge. Three more deaths due to drowning were reported each from Barpeta, Dhemaji and Udalguri districts, taking the death toll due to the deluge to 21 since May 22. Over 27,000 are homeless and have taken shelter in 133 relief camps.
According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) bulletin issued on Sunday evening, altogether 9,26,059 people of 2,071 villages in 67 revenue circles have been affected by floods.
Two new districts have been inundated in the last 24 hours. More than 4.6 lakh people across 21 districts were affected as on Saturday. Barpeta is the worst-affected district with 1,35,415 people in 395 villages, followed by Dhemaji with 99,865 people in 265 villages, and Nalbari with 96,146 people in 94 villages. Due to the release of water from Kurichu dam, the Brahmaputra, Beki, Manas, Pagladia, Kaldia and Pohumara rivers in Nalbari and Barpeta districts are continuously flowing above the danger level.
The Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger level in most places from upper Assam to lower Assam. The river’s water level is also rising in Guwahati and it reached 49.81m on Saturday against its danger level of 49.68m, coming threateningly close to entering the capital city. The met office has predicted heavy rain in the northeast till Tuesday.
The Brahmaputra river above the danger level at Neamatighat (Jorhat), Tezpur (Sonitpur), Guwahati (Kamrup), Goalpara (Goalpara), Dhubri (Dhubri), Burhiding at Chenimari (Dibrugarh), Dhansiri(S) at Numaligarh (Golaghat), Jia Bharali at NT Road Crossing (Sonitpur), Puthimari NH Road Crossing (Kamrup), Manas at NH Road Crossing (Barpeta), Beki at Road Bridge (Barpeta) and Sankosh in Dhubri.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been deployed in over eight districts and over 9,000 people have been rescued on Sunday by the SDRF and local authorities. Union home minister Amit Shah called up CM Sarbananda Sonowal and health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday to take stock of the flood situation in the state. He assured all possible help to Assam in tackling the situation.