Assam flood situation sees slight improvement as rivers begin to recede

The flood situation in Assam improved marginally as major rivers, including the Brahmaputra, were showing a receding trend though a population of over four lakh people was still affected by the deluge in 18 districts of the state, officials said on Saturday.

Rainfall has been less in most districts and scattered in some, leading to a recession in the water level of the major rivers.

The Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger level in Dhubri, Kopili in Dharamtul, River Barak at Katakhal in Hailakandi and Kushiyara in Sribhumi.

There was no report of any casualty during the day though a person was reported missing in Kamrup (Metro) district. A landslide took place in the Rupnagar area of Guwahati early on Saturday and a person has been reported missing.

The current first wave of floods along with landslides due to heavy rainfall has so far claimed 21 lives.

The floods have affected 1,296 villages under 54 revenue circles of 18 districts and 16,558.59 hectares of cropland are still under water while 2,96,765 animals are facing the impact of the current wave.

More than 40,313 displaced people are taking shelter in 328 relief camps, while 1,19,001 affected people were provided relief at distribution centres set up in the affected districts.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday visited the Barak Valley for the second time in a week and assured timely rehabilitation grants to the people and that damaged infrastructure, like roads, will be repaired before Durga Puja festivities.

Flood waters of the Brahmaputra have inundated vast tracts of Kaziranga National Park, the UNESCO World Heritage site, while 70 per cent of the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary has been severely affected by the waters of the Brahmaputra and Kopili rivers.

The floods have forced the animals, including the one-horned rhinoceros, and other wildlife to move to higher ground for shelter.

"The forest personnel are closely monitoring the situation and efforts are being made to minimise the impact of the floods on wildlife," an official said.