Relief work begins in flood-affected Majuli in Assam

Majuli (Assam), July 6 (ANI): Authorities have begun relief work in Majuli island in Assam, where flood has rendered thousands of people homeless. he monsoon causes the mighty Brahmaputra River to bring Majuli miseries every year.

This year too, the Brahmaputra breached a vital embankment along Majuli and displaced thousands of villagers in the upper part of the island.

Authorities have set up around six to seven makeshift camps.

"About 40 villages with a population of around 41,000 have been affected by the current flood. Everyone knows Majuli is prone to flood. As per relief manual village panchayat are completely affected while some are partially affected. We have started distributing relief materials," said, Deepak Kumar Handique, sub-divisional officer, Majuli.

Due to poor connectivity, the administration is finding it difficult to reach out relief material to the displaced people.

Food, water and fodder are some of the major problems faced by the villagers in the island. All offices, schools and other establishments have been inundated with the floodwater.

"Already four days have passed by since the flood water washed away our village and the main road that connects us to the town. We haven't received any relief material either from government side or NGOs. Around 50-60 persons are taking shelter in this makeshift camp and we are facing acute shortage of food, drinking water and medicine," said Moina Saikia, a resident.

A red alert has been sounded in the areas of Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, and Jorhat districts where the Brahmaputra River is flowing above the danger level.

Nearly one lakh hectre of crop has been submerged, and more than seventy thousand people have been left homeless due to the heavy rains in the catchments areas of the Brahmaputra from the last one week.

According to sources, the flood situation will remain same for next few days, as it is still raining heavily on the catchment areas of Brahmaputra and its tributaries. (ANI)