Assam flood situation improves, 59 villages still under water

Guwahati, Jul 16: The flood situation in Assam on Tuesday showed some signs of improvement though 59 villages in three districts still reeled under water affecting nearly 30,000 people.

Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) officials said Dhemaji, Jorhat and Nagaon districts continued to be affected and nearly 30,000 people are still suffering from the natural disaster. A total of six relief camps are operational sheltering around 1,500 people. Besides, nearly 25,000 people in Nagaon district are put up in 24 temporary shelters.

The daily report by ASDMA further said the Brahmaputra river in Jorhat and Dhubri districts, and its tributaries Dhansiri at Numaligarh and Jia Bharali at NT Road Crossing in Sonitpur district are flowing over the danger mark.

The first wave of floods this season since mid-May has affected nearly 1.5 lakh people in about 500 villages across 12 districts in the state. Last week, the flood situation in the state turned devastating with the Brahmaputra destroying 60 houses in an erosion in Morigaon district.

Massive erosion also took place in Bhuragaon and Mayong revenue circles of the district. The floods have so far claimed one life in Morigaon district. The Kaziranga National Park and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary have also been hit and an elephant and an antelope perished in Nagaon district.

The flood waters destroyed standing crops like rice in around 7,000 hectares of agricultural land. The 12 affected districts are Dhemaji, Tinsukia, Chirang, Nagaon, Golaghat, Jorhat, Kamrup, Karimganj, Lakhimpur, Morigaon, Sivasagar and Bongaigaon.

PTI