Assam floods: Seven dead, situation grim in two districts

The flood situation has deteriorated in Assam's Dhemaji and Lakhimpur districts with seven deaths reported from the area where three lakh people remain affected, officials said Sunday.

State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) officials said floods have upset lives of people in over 1,000 villages in 15 districts of the state.

Till now, seven people have died in the floods -- one each in Lakhimpur, Dhubri, Nalbari, Golaghat and Barpeta and two in Morigaon districts, officials said. They added that floodwaters have affected crops on 90,867 hectares across the state.

The flood situation in Lakhimpur and Dhemaji districts worsened as Subanriri river is in spate due to heavy downpour in neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh.

Jiadhal river has also breached an embankment in Dhemaji district.

District administrations concerned have set up 118 relief camps, providing shelter to 95,922 people in the 15 flood-affected districts -- Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Sivasagar, Sonitpur, Nalbari, Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Morigaon, Kamrup, Dhubri, Kokrajhar and Karbi Anglong besides Dhemaji and Lakhimpur.

The flood situation has slightly improved in Dhubri, Kokrajhar and Karbi Anglong districts, officials said.

SDMA officials said the Brahmaputra and its tributaries are flowing above the danger level at Nematighat, Dhubri and Dibrugarh and the Jai Bharali river has crossed the danger mark at Sonitpur and Kopili while Beki river has breached the red line at Nagaon and in Barpeta district.

Flood waters have also entered Kaziranga and Dibru Choikhowa national parks. However, there is no report of any major damage, the officials said.

The increasing water levels in Brahmaputra and its tributaries have also forced the Inland Water Transport (IWT) department to temporarily suspend river transportation in many places, including Guwahati, Jorhat and Dhubri.

Communication with river island Majuli was snapped Sunday following suspension of ferry services from Jorhat.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has directed the revenue and disaster management department to rescue marooned people and to speed up relief and rehabilitation process of the flood-affected people.

He has also asked the district administration concerned to monitor supply of gratuity relief, medicine and other items to the affected people while directing the water resources department to immediately start anti-erosion measures.