Assam flood turn catastrophic

Guwahati, Aug 1 (UNI) The flood situation in Assam worsened causing maximum damage to the flood control infrastructure, while the death toll mounted to 16 so far.

The latest count said 4.5 million people were reeling under flood water in almost all the 24 of the 27 districts of the state. With no let up in rain, the state has no option but to wait for nature to relent.

So far 57 embankments had been destroyed, putting a hole on government claims of flood management, official reports said.

''I have asked for a report how so many embankments could be breached,'' said Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi while monitoring the flood situation.

The opposition cried foul that Rs 127 crores spent for flood management in the last two years were "completely swindled" by departmental ministers, bureaucrats and contractors.

However, both human and animals in the entire valley continued to bear the brunt of flood. The world famous Kaziranga National Park was completely submerged and the second most important park, Manas National Park, was also under water.

The administration was engaged in relief and rescue operation while the police and para-military forces were keeping an eye on possible attack by the militants immediately after the drying up.

So far 385 relief camps and 264 temporary shelters had been opened as more than five lakh hectares of land, including 1.55 lakh hectares of crop land, was affected. More than 900 houses were damaged.

The floods also severely affected road communication and so far six concrete bridges, 15 semi-permanent timber bridges and 45 approaches to the bridges were damaged. National Highway 52 was breached at four places on way to Dhemaji district, thereby cutting off road communication to the district. More than 50 piped water supply schemes and more than three thousand spot water supply schemes were damaged.

According to a report of the Water Resources Department, the mighty river Brahmaputra was still flowing above the danger level at Dibrugarh, Neamatighat, Tezpur, Guwahati, Goalpara and Dhubri.

However, the water level of the river was falling in Dibrugarh and Neamatighat and was maintaining a steady trend in other places.

The army, with their limited resources, had been helping the civil adminstration.

UNI