Rescue operation starts as govt sounds red alert

Guwahati, Jun 19 (UNI) The rising water level of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries steadied today while the Barak river continued to be in high flood, even as the state government sounded a red alert.

Army has been kept standby as the state is in the middle of the first major wave of flood displacing more than 12,000 people so far.

'' The situation is serious,'' said Asom Water resource Minister Bharat Chandra Narah, with the situation getting worse in the Lakhimpur and Dibrugarh districts.

The Brahmaputra river continued to flow above the danger level near Dibrugarh while road communication between Barak and Brahmaputra valley remained snapped.

The Brahmaputra was flowing at 105.42 mt at Dibrugarh and 86.05 mt at Nematighat, both well above the danger levels, though the trend was a receding one, a Central Water Commission (CWC) source informed here.

The Jia Bharali and Puthimari rivers were also receding at 77.52 mt and 52.40 mt respectively, though both were still flowing above the danger levels.

The Buridihing showed a rising trend, flowing at 102.30 mt against the danger level of 102.11 mt.

The water level of Brahmaputra has threatened both the Dibrugarh town and Matmora in Lakhimpur district.

In both sides of the bank, the river has threatened the embankments and heavy erosion was reported at Maijan of Dibrugarh and Matmora.

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