Assam flood hits 40 more villages, erodes 60 houses

Flood waters today engulfed 22 villages in Assam's Bongaingaon and eroded 60 houses in Morigaon district displacing scores of people as the Bramhaputra river continued to flow above the danger level.

New areas were inundated in Bongaigaon district with 20,000 people hit in 22 villages, State Disaster Management Authority sources said.

The 60 dwellings destroyed in Morigaon district were situated between Goroimari and Bhajaikhaity villages under the Lahorighat revenue circle in the riverine 'Leoramukh' area, Water Resources Department sources said.

The affected families were sheltering on the river embankment, the sources said.

Massive erosion also took place in Bhuragaon and Mayong revenue circles of the district.

Besides, over 100 villages in Dhemaji, Chirang, Jorhat, Lakhimpur and Sivasagar districts were under flood waters.

Altogether 3500 people were sheltering in 11 relief camps in Dhemaji, Chirang and Sivasagar districts.

The first wave of floods since mid-May has affected nearly 1.5 lakh people in about 500 villages across 12 districts in the state.

The flood has so far claimed one human life in Morigaon district.

It has also hit the Kaziranga National Park and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary with an elephant and an antelope perishing in Nagaon district.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke to Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and assured him of central help.