Dhemaji cut off for third day ; relief operation on

Guwahati, Jul 14 (UNI) Dhemaji district of Assam continued to remain cut off from the rest of the country for the third consecutive day today with more than 20,000 people still sheltered in relief camps.

Flash floods, triggered by a breach in the embankment of Kumotia river, a major tributary of the Brahmaputra, had washed away 1.5 km of National Highway 52 on Thursday last.

About 40,000 people had been marooned and more than 100 villages affected.

Two major bridges had also been washed away and it could take couple of months to restore surface communication with the district completely.

Dhemaji Deputy Commissioner Diwakar Mishra informed over telephone that though the water level had receded, the current was still strong and it could take time to restore surface communication.

'' A Border Road Organisation (BRO) team has evaluated the situation for construction of the NH portion, which has been washed away. But the current has to recede, '' he added.

The river had changed its natural course and the state Water Resources department was finding ways to channelise the river into its earlier course, the DC informed.

A team of the Water Resources department today visited the affected sites and discussions were on with experts to put back the Kumotia river on its natural course.

Mr Mishra further informed that four relief camps and 120 temporary camps were still operational under the district administration for sheltering the people.

Rice, dal and other essentials, besides drinking water, were being provided to the affected population. In remote areas, where it was not possible for water tankers to reach, water purifier tablets were being distributed, he added.

The DC said people were anxious to return home, though most of the people had lost all their property.

He said, '' About 10,000 people have already returned. The people do not want to stay in relief camps and are anxious to go back to whatever little has been left. '' Though the flash flood had created havoc, no human casualty was reported as the district administration rescued all the affected manually.

Mr Mishra said the two Air Force helicopters, brought for rescue operation, could not be used as there was no dry land left to land.

Meanwhile, the Brahmaputra was flowing above the danger level at Dibrugarh and Neamatighat in Jorhat.

It was displaying a rising trend at Guwahati, Goalpara and Tezpur, a Central Water Commission (CWC) bulletin informed.

Its major tributaries were also on rising trend at many other places. The Barak and its tributaries, barring the Katakhal, were, however, on a steady or falling mode, the CWC bulletin said.

UNI