Asom floods toll reaches nine: Duststorm in Delhi

New Delhi, June 15 (UNI) The toll in the floods and landslide-related incidents in Asom rose to nine today as a heavy duststorm brought a sudden coolness in the weather in the national capital.

According to reports today, a 12-year-old boy drowned yesterday in Borkhola area in Cachar district.

The overall flood situation remained grim in the state as Brahmaputra and Barak and most of their tributaries were still flowing above their danger mark.

The famous Kaziramga National Park was flooded, inundating vast low lying areas inside the park. Animals were taking shelters in highland inside the park.

The floods have also badly hit the world's biggest river island- Mazuli.

Over 2.50 lakh population in 311 villages of eleven districts have been affected due to floods in the state so far, official sources said. Over 30,077 hectares of land have been affected including 7,460 hectares of crops lands in the state so far, sources said.

The affected districts are Nowgoan, Moprigaon, Cachar Hhailakandi, Karimganj, Dhemaji, Jorhat, Kamrup, N C Hills, Barpeta and Nalbari, the sources added.

However in the national capital here, a heavy duststorm at 1637 hours brought a sudden coolness in the weather.

It brought down the mercury to 33 degrees Celsius, nearly seven degrees below normal.

Though the duststorm, blowing at a speed of nearly 73 Km per hour, uprooted trees at several areas and resulted in traffic snags, it brought respite to people from sweltering heat.

Weathermen have also forecast a partly cloudy sky and further duststorms and thunderstorms during the next 24 hours. Some showers have also been forecast for later this evening and tomorrow.

In Jammu and Kashmir, heavy rains at various places along the track to the holy cave shrine of Amarnath has once again threatened suspension of the pilgrimage from both Baltal and Pahalgam routes.

Official sources said that heavy rainfall was recorded this afternoon at several places on way to the holy cave shrine from both Baltal and Pahalgam tracks, making them slippery and dangerous for trekking by the pilgrims.

In Manipur, traffic on the National Highway No was affected following massive landslides on the roads triggered by monsoon rains.

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