Flood situation alarming in Asom

Guwahati, Jun 18 (UNI) The flood situation in Asom continued to deteriorate at an alarming pace with the state capital and its neighbouring areas recording heavy rainfall today.

As many as eight major rivers had crossed danger levels in North East, a Central Water Commission (CWC) source said here, adding that all the rivers and their tributaries were displaying a rising trend.

With more rain forecast for the next two days, the situation was likely to worsen farther.

The Brahmaputra was flowing above danger level at various places.

At Dibrugarh, it was flowing at 105.48 mt against the danger level of 104.24 mt and at Nematighat, at 85.70 mt against the danger level of 85.04 mt.

The river is expected to cross over 105.65 mt at Dibrugarh and 86.50 mt within the next few hours, the CWC source said.

At Guwahati, the Brahmaputra was still flowing below the danger level of 49.68 mt at 47.79 mt, though it displayed a rising trend.

The situation was grim in the Barak valley, where Karimganj received the season's highest rainfall of 130.2 mm today, the CWC source said.

The Barak river and its tributaries inundated new areas in Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi districts. All the major rivers in the valley, including Barak, Kushiara, Katakhal and Longai, have been flowing well above the danger level since last night, and the rising trend was continuing, a CWC source said at Siclahr.

A flood control dyke of Barak river was breached at Roypur in Barkhala circle of Cachar district today, causing havoc in a vast area.

More than 200 villages were affected in Sonitpur, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur and Karimganj districts alone.

Karimganj district administration today requisitioned a number of BSF speed boats for evacuation of marooned people in the worst -affected Patharkandi circle of the border district.

Thousands of people had lost their homes in North Karimganj area where the BSF boats had been pressed into service for rescue and relief operation, official sources said.

While NH-44 had been submerged in at least three places in Patharkandi area of Karimganj district, NH-53 was under knee-deep water of the Barak river in Katakhal in Hailakandi district.

An official of Water Resources department in Silchar informed that traffic may have to be suspended from tomorrow if the water continued to increase.

UNI