Assam flood: Death toll rises to 30 as situation improves marginally

The death toll from the pre-monsoon flood in Assam rose to 30 as two more deaths were reported on Thursday, officials said, adding at least 5.61 people remained affected in the state's 12 districts even as the flood situation saw some marginal improvement.

Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) officials said that an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) of seven members arrived in Guwahati on Thursday to study the flood-ravaged Assam districts.

To accelerate an effective damage assessment, IMCT members would be divided into two groups for visiting the affected districts. The one group including the IMCT leader Ravinesh Kumar, Financial Advisor, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) of the Home Ministry, will visit Cachar and Dima Hasao districts on Friday and Saturday while another would visit Darrang, Nagaon and Hojai districts on May 27-28.

According to the ASDMA officials, despite some improvement in the flood situation, at least 5,61,149 people, including 1,13,139 children of 956 villages have now been affected in 12 of the state's 34 districts.

Of the 30 deaths, 25, including children, died in floods and remaining five in landslides in different districts.

Over 47,139 hectares of crop areas remained affected in flood-hit areas, an ASDMA statement said.

Altogether, 66,836 people are staying in the 295 relief camps, while the district administrations have also opened 70 relief distribution centres in all the affected areas.

Out of the 12 flood affected districts, the highest number of 3,68,188 people were affected in Nagaon districts alone followed by 1,49,995 people in Cachar and 41,036 in Morigaon district.

The Army, the Indian Air Force (IAF), the Assam Rifles, various para-military forces, the National Disaster Response Force, and the State Disaster Response Force, Civil Defence along with the district administrations continue to work round the clock to rescue the stranded people and to provide relief to the marooned men, women and children.

The IAF has air-dropped the most essential supplies in the flood affected areas through 20 shuttles/ trips of helicopters from Guwahati, Jorhat and Silchar.

The water of Kopili river was flowing above the danger level in several places.

--IANS

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