Assam flood situation still grim

The flood situation in Assam continued to remain grim today with over 24,000 people affected in three districts, though the water level in the major rivers of the state was receding, officials said.

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today visited Biswanath district, which was hit by the flood a few days ago.

A population of 24,244 was affected by the flood waters in 33 villages of Dhemaji, Lakhimpur and Jorhat districts, the daily bulletin of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said.

Yesterday, the ASDMA had reported 24 villages in those three districts were under water and a total of 19,170 people affected.

The death toll in the current wave of floods in the state stood at 34, with no fresh casualty reported.

A crop area of 1,309 hectares was damaged, the ASDMA report said.

Heavy erosion was also reported from two villages in Biswanath district, it added.

As many as 1,910 people had taken shelter in eight relief camps in Dhemaji and Lakhimpur, the report said.

Damage to embankments, roads, bridges and culverts were reported from Lakhimpur and Charaideo.

The Brahmaputra river was flowing above the danger mark at Nematighat in Jorhat district and the Jia Bharali river was flowing above the danger mark at the NT Road crossing in Sonitpur, the ASDMA report said.

Sonowal visited Biswanath district and reviewed the erosion on the bank of the Chatrong river at Gohpur.

He also handed over a cheque of Rs 4 lakh as ex-gratia to Bhadra Bora, father of Dipankar Bora, who had drowned in the flood, at Gohpur.