Assam continues to reel under floods, 8.5 lakh people affected

Guwahati, Aug 25: Assam continues to reel under the impact of floods in 12 districts affecting over 8.5 lakh people in 984 villages across the state even as the government said it has given all help to the state government to minimize casualties and flood damages.

The deluge has hit 8.33 lakh people in 984 villages in Lakhimpur, Dibrugarh, Bongaigaon, Sonitpur, Barpeta, Jorhat, Goalpara, Morigaon, Dhubri, Kamrup, Golaghat and Nagaon districts, said a flood bulletin from the Assam State Disaster Management Authority today.

The current spate of floods has claimed 13 lives so far and nearly 50,000 hectares of farmland was submerged.

With the Brahmaputra and its tributaries flowing over danger mark due to rains in upper reaches of Arunachal Pradesh and Bhutan, the overflowing flood waters have damaged roads in Dibrugarh, Sonitpur, Goalpara and Nagaon, while two bridges were damaged in Sonitpur district, the report said.

Even as the state government sought an interim amount of Rs 500 crore for relief, rehabilitation and repair works in the flood affected areas, the DoNER Minister visiting flood affected areas of Bongaigaon district said "The Centre is giving all possible help to the state government from the first day of the floods in Assam."

"Due to immediate and prompt response from the Government, the damages and causalities rate could be minimised," he said. "As a result of that more than six hundred people were evacuated to safer places," the minister told reporters.

PTI