Asom-Arunachal heading for worst flood

Guwahati, Jul 26: Assam and Arunachal Pradesh are heading for the worst flood in recent times as more rains are expected in the next seven days, while Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger level throughout the 850 kms long course.

It has left trail of devastation in Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh and Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Lkahimpur, Tinsukia and Sivsagar district of Assam.

As river Jiadhol has breached a major embankment last evening in Dhemaji district the flood situation of whole Assam is going to further detoritate in the next few days, the Assam Water Resource Department informed.

Dhemaji and Lohit districts remained cut off from the rest of the state for the second week as the authorities are trying to produce essential commodities through the existing railway network as well as by air dropping.

District magistrate of Lohit District R K Sharma informed that all the rivers of the districts, Noa Dehing, Lohit, Berrang and Kamleng have been flowing above the danger level.

Low lying areas Deobil, Jengthu, Alubari, Majgaon, Mukron, Mabira, Dharampur, Krishnapur, Rangalibeel, Singibeel, are inundated by flood water.

Erosion caused by Noa-Dehing river at new Silatoo to Silatoo villages has resulted in landslide at two points on Brahmakund- Tohangam road which has disrupted road communication for the last three days.

The continuous downpour has made restoration work by the BRTF personnel difficult. Moreover, the other road to Tezu, the district headquarters via Alubari Ferry Ghat is also not thorough, Mr Sharma added.

The incessant rain in Arunachal Pradesh have led to sharp rise in water levels in Lohit and all its tributaries, with 38.7 mm and 24 mm rainfall recorded over the past two days. Assam's Dhemaji district, hit by flash floods on July 12, continued to be connected with other parts through an alternate road route through Gogamukh, with the washed away part of NH 52 yet to be restored.

Most of the 40,000 affected people had returned to their homes, with the district administration still providing relief to about 10,000 people.

Meanwhile, the Brahmaputra was flowing over the red mark in Dibrugarh, Neamtighat in Jorhat, Tezpur and Dhubri. It was also nearing the danger level at Guwahati and Goalpara, with a rising trend at all places.

UNI