Assam flood situation deteriorates; 3 dead, over 2 lakh affected

Three people were killed in rain and flood related incidents in Assam as the situation turned grim on Wednesday with over two lakh people across 11 districts of the state being affected by the deluge.

Till Tuesday, 62,400 people were affected by floods in eight districts, but now 2,07,100 persons are affected in the state, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said.

Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Biswanath, Darrang, Barpeta, Nalbari, Chirang, Golaghat, Majuli, Jorhat and Dibrugarh districts are hit by the deluge, it said.

Three persons died in rain and flood related incidents in Golaghat, Dhemaji and Kamrup Metropolitan districts, the ASDMA said.

One person was washed away in Bokakhat in Golaghat district and another in Dhemaji, while a person was killed in a landslide at Kotabari in Kamrup Metropolitan district, it said.

The state disaster management authority said 530 villages are under water and 13,267.74 hectares of crop area has been damaged.

In view of heavy rains and possibility of landslides, the Kamrup Metropolitan district administration has withdrawn all permissions granted for excavation of land and extraction or blasting of stone with immediate effect.

Thirteen relief camps and distribution centres are being run by authorities in four districts and 249 people have taken shelter at these facilities.

Embankments, roads, bridges, culverts and other infrastructure have been damaged at various places in Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Hojai, Barpeta, Golaghat, Majuli and Jorhat districts.

Several rivers, including the Brahmaputra, the Dikhow, the Dhansiri, the Jia Bharali, the Puthimari and the Beki, are flowing above the danger level at various districts.

Massive erosions have been witnessed at various places of Biswanath, Sonitpur, Udalguri and Baksa districts, ASDMA said.