Nearly 21,000 people affected by flood in Assam, says official bulletin

Nearly 21,000 people have been affected by flood in Assam, an official bulletin said on Wednesday.

According to the daily flood report of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), more than 20,900 people have been hit due to flooding in Dhemaji and Lakhimpur districts.

Over 20,700 people are suffering in Lakhimpur while 160 people have been affected in Dhemaji, it said.

Currently, 19 villages have been inundated and crops in over 13.5 hectares of land have been damaged, the bulletin said.

However, in other districts including Lakhimpur, Biswanath, Darrang, Dhemaji, Dima Hasao, Dibrugarh and Golaghat districts, floodwaters have not entered houses but embankments, roads, bridges and other infrastructure have been damaged.

The flood was caused after the northeastern state received heavy rainfall over the last few days.

No river, however, is flowing above the danger mark as of now, the bulletin said.

Meanwhile, Guwahati-based Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) said that heavy rainfall is expected in Northeast over the next five days.

"Moisture incursion due to strong low-level southerly/southwesterly winds from the Bay of Bengal to Northeast India is very likely during the next five days. Under its influence, fairly widespread rainfall activity with heavy to very heavy with extremely heavy rainfall/thunderstorm with lightning is very likely to occur over the northeastern region during the next five days," it said in a statement.

For the next three days, the RMC has issued 'orange alert', followed by 'yellow alert' for the subsequent two days.

'Yellow alert' stands for watch and be updated, while 'orange alert' implies to be prepared for action.