Flood situation in Assam worsens, death toll rises to 24

Guwahati: The flood situation in Assam has deteriorated as incessant rains pounded the state and

four more persons lost their lives taking the death toll up to 24. The calamity has affected nearly 10 lakh people in over 2,000 villages. A total 29 people have been killed in the two spells of floods in 2015.

The Dibrugarh administration has called in the Army to evacuate marooned people from different parts of the district, Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said in its flood report.

ASDMA reports said two persons were killed under Naduar revenue circle in Sonitpur district, while one died in Mayong revenue circle of Morigaon. Another person lost his life at Samaguri revenue circle in Nagaon district since Tuesday.

It said nearly 10 lakh persons are affected in 2,005 villages across Dhemaji, Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Sonitpur, Barpeta, Goalpara, Morigaon, Cachar, Lakhimpur, Jorhat, Tinsukia, Darrang, Baksa, Nalbari, Kamrup, Dibrugarh, Sivasagar, Golaghat and Nagaon districts.

Dhemaji is the worst-hit district where nearly 2.4 lakh people are reeling due to the flood. It is followed by Dibrugarh where more than 1.34 lakh people have been affected. ASDMA said nearly 1.7 lakh hectares of crop land are under water and authorities have opened 308 relief camps in Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Cachar, Dhemaji, Tinsukia, Sonitpur, Nalbari, Dibrugarh, Morigaon and Nagaon providing shelter to more than 1.75 lakh people.

Kamrup metropolitan district authority has indefinitely suspended all types of ferry and boat services on Brahmaputra in Guwahati city as the river is flowing above the danger mark. The ASDMA report said Brahmaputra is flowing above its danger marks also at Dibrugarh, Goalpara and Dhubri towns, Nematighat in Jorhat and Tezpur.

Also flowing above their danger marks are Burhidehing at Khowang, Desang at Nanglamuraghat, Dhansiri at Numaligarh, Jia Bharali at NT Road crossing in Sonitpur, Puthimari at NH Road crossing in Kamrup, Beki at Road Bridge in Barpeta and Kushiyara at Karimganj town.

Flood waters have damaged at least 18 roads in Morigaon, Golaghat, Dhemaji, Jorhat, Lakhimpur, Goalpara, Cachar, Dibrugarh, Sonitpur and Darrang and over four bridges were damaged in Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Darrang and Nalbari since Tuesday.

ASDMA said 13 embankments were also breached in Barpeta, Dibrugarh, Nalbari and Nagaon districts.