Flood situation remains grim, Sonowal visits affected areas

The flood situation in Assam remained critical in a number of districts including Dhemaji, Lakhimpur and Sonitpur with two persons losing their lives and over one lakh people being affected.
In Lakhimpur, where the two deaths took place, over 100 villages were under flood water.
More than 70 villages were submerged by the flood waters of river Brahmaputra in Dhemaji and four relief camps were opened by the district administration.
In Sonitpur district, the floods have affected two sub divisions - Tezpur and Gohpur. The present round of floods also remained critical in other districts like Nagaon, Jorhat, Morigaon and Dibrugarh.

Meanwhile, Union Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal visited the flood affected areas in Dhemaji and assured people of all help and support from the Centre.
Meeting people in the worst affected Deurighat area near the upcoming Bogibeel bridge, he assured them of uninterrupted supply of relief material and oversaw the administration's relief operations.

Sonowal said the embankment, which was washed away by gushing waters four days ago, would be repaired as soon as the monsoon was over.
Lakhimpur Deputy Commissioner Gaurav Bothra said the flood situation remained grim with all tributaries of Brahmaputra flowing over the danger mark and water levels rising since last night.

However, at some places flood waters have been receding as well, he added.
According to official reports, over 2,548 hectares of standing crops have been destroyed in Lakhimpur during past four days of flood and affected over one lakh people in more than 100 villages under seven revenue circles.
Bothra said rescue operation was going on and the district administration has distributed relief goods to the affected families, but no relief camp has been set up yet as the people were taking shelter in higher lands and school complexes.