Fresh floods submerge lower areas in Assam

Guwahati, Jul 29 (UNI) Road transport has been disrupted at several places in lower and western Assam, with flood waters flowing over the National Highway in Kamrup district, the entire North East's main supply link, for the second day today.

Many areas in lower and western Assam districts were inundated and lakhs of people were affected, with reports of casualties coming in from some areas.

The National Highway near Rangiya was overtopped by the Puthimari river, a tributary of the Brahmaputra, since yesterday, affecting traffic movement through the route.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Kamrup (Rural) R C Jain said the traffic movement was restricted. However, he added that the water level was receding.

A young boy of about seven years was reported to have been washed away by floods in Hajo circle, though confirmation was yet to be received, the DC said.

The Brahmaputra was also flowing above the danger level in Guwahati. A few areas of the capital city had been inundated by the incessant rain, with the river water threatening to enter the city if the water levels did not recede immediately.

Besides overtopping the National Highway, the Puthimari river had breached an embankment in Hahara on July 27, affecting several villages.

Over 1.2 lakh people had been affected in Kamrup (Rural) district and nearly 150 villages inundated, the DC said.

Many areas in the Assembly constituencies of Palasbari and Saigaon had been submerged and the Brahmaputra and its tributaries were flowing above the danger mark in several places.

The embankment near Hudumpur in Palasbari town had been threatened by the Brahmaputra and ten metres of it had already been washed away.

The headquarter town of Rangiya district was also inundated by water from the Borolia river. As many as seven wards of the total ten municipality wards in the town were under water, with many major offices and educational institutions submerged.

In Nalbari district, waters of Buradiya, Morapagladiya and Kanakhunda Jaan rivers had submerged several villages and agricultural land in western parts of the district.

Flood waters had also washed away two bridges at Dharmarghat and Mukhirghat, cutting off communication in the Madhupur-Mularkuchi route.

The flood situation in western Assam further deteriorated, with several villages and towns submerged. The situation in Bilasipara sub-division of Dhubri district was grim, with fresh areas being submerged. Three deaths had already been reported from the district.

Floods in the Aie river, fed by water from the Bhutan hills, and Kanamakola river, had submerged nearly 37 villages in the Bijni sub-division, with a dozen families losing their houses.

Swelling waters of Beki and Brahmaputra rivers wreaked havoc in the Bodoland Territorial Areas District (BTAD) areas and Barpeta district. Embankment breach by the Beki at Gobordhona Telipara had submerged several parts of the Barpeta-Bahbari Road, which connected the Manas National Park. Though the animals of the park were safe as of now, a forest official of the park said increase in water levels could pose a threat for them. The Beki river was also threatening to breach embankments at other places in Barpeta district.

UNI