Assam’s devastating flood situation remained grim Wednesday with over 55 lakh people affected and 89 people losing their lives due to the rising waters of the River Brahmaputra and Barak inundating vast tracts of land in both the Valleys of the state, official sources said.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took a train journey to Nagaon from here to review the flood affected areas in the district and was also scheduled to visit a few relief camps in the affected areas, officials said.
Nagaon has been severely affected by the current wave of the floods with over 4,57,381 in the grip of the rising waters and 15,188 inmates have taken shelter in 147 relief camps.
The situation in the three districts of Barak Valley-Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi with the water of the Rivers Barak and Kushiara affecting vast tracts of land, officials said.
NDRF personnel have been engaged in Cachar districts to evacuate people to safer places while SDRF and other agencies were engaged in the two remaining districts.
In Cachar, a population of 2,16,851 have been affected in 506 villages while in Karimganj 1,47,649 and in Hailakandi nearly one lakh people are suffering due to the floods.
The Chief Minister is scheduled to visit Silchar to review the prevailing flood situation.
Transport Minister Parimal Suklabaidya is camping at Silchar and is monitoring the situation with the local MLAs, deputy commissioners and senior officials of the three districts.
Ambassador of Japan to India Satoshi Suzuki has expressed his condolences and sympathy to those who lost their ”beloved ones and are affected by the recent floods and landslides occurring in Assam and Meghalaya”.
”Japan always stands with the people in such difficult times”, Satoshi tweeted.
Replying to the tweet, the Chief Minister thanked him ”for showing your concern for your state and people affected by the current wave of floods. We sincerely acknowledge the support and cooperation of Japan and its beautiful people towards the development of our state”.
Oil India Limited (OIL) has contributed Rs five crore to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund with Sarma thanking Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Rameswar Teli and the psu’s CMD Sushil Kumar Mishra for the contribution which will ”significantly aid our ongoing flood-relief work”.
A total population of 55,42,053 have been affected by the ongoing floods in 32 of the 36 districts of the state. Seven more persons died due to the floods during the last 24 hours while one was reported missing from Kamrup, according to a bulletin of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority.
Among the worst affected districts are Barpeta with a population of 12,51,359 reeling under flood waters followed by Dhubri with 5,94,708 and Darrang with 5,47,421, according to the bulletin.
The devastating floods, caused by incessant rainfall, has affected 121 revenue circles and 5,577 villages while 2,62,155 inmates have taken shelter in 862 relief camps while relief materials were distributed to other affected populations who are not taking shelters in relief camps through 825 relief distribution centres/ points opened temporarily.
According to the bulletin of the Central Water Commission (CWC), the river Kopili was flowing above the high flood level at Kampur in Nagaon district while the Brahmaputra at Nimatighat, Tezpur, Guwahati, Kamrup, Goalpara and Dhubri along with the rivers Puthimari, Pagladia, Beki Barak and Kushiara are flowing above the danger level.
Urban flooding was also reported from Barpeta, Cachar, Darrang, Goalpara, Kamrup (Metro), Karimganj.
A total crop area of 108306.18 hectares and 36,60,173 animals have been affected while 59,654 animals have been washed away.
Seven embankments were breached, 316 roads and 20 bridges have been damaged, the bulletin added.
In Kaziranga National Park, 26 of the total 233 camps have been inundated by the flood water with 11 animals dying due to drowning and vehicle hit so far while 16 have been rescued by forest officials.
In Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, 14 of the total 25 camps have been inundated though there are no reports of animal casualty so far.
Large-scale erosion of river banks was reported from Baksa, Biswanath, Bongaigaon, Chirang, Dhubri, Hailakandi, Lakhimpur, Morigaon, Nalbari, Sonitpur, South Salmara, Tamulpur, Tinsukia and Udalguri districts
