Assam flood: Five more die, toll rises to 179

Guwahati: Assam's flood situation improved on Sunday as the number of affected people declined to over 18.35 lakh from the previous day's 22.17 lakh even as five more persons lost their lives due to the deluge, an official bulletin said.

According to the daily bulletin issued by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), two persons drowned in Nagaon and one each at various places in Karimganj, Lakhimpur and Sivasagar districts during the day.

The toll due to the flood and landslides this year rose to 179 across the state.

Altogether, 18,35,500 people are still affected by the floods in 23 districts, including Barpeta, Cachar, Darrang, Dibrugarh, Hojai, Kamrup, Kamrup Metropolitan, Karimganj, Lakhimpur, Morigaon, Nagaon, Nalbari, and Sivasagar.

Cachar is the worst-hit district with nearly 10.2 lakh people still suffering, followed by Nagaon (3.76 lakh) and Morigaon (1.76 lakh).

Till Saturday, over 22.17 lakh people were affected by the deluge across 24 districts in the state.

Currently, 1,618 villages are under water and 47,198.87 hectares of crop areas have been damaged across Assam, the ASDMA said in its bulletin.

Authorities are running 413 relief camps and distribution centres in 20 districts, where 2,78,060 people, including 65,757 children, have taken shelter.

The state administration has distributed 685.26 quintals of rice, dal and salt, 2,634.44 litres of mustard oil, 4,793.92 quintals of cattle feed and other flood relief items.

assam-1 — Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma interacts with flood-affected people, at a flood relief camp, in Bajali district. PHOTO: PTI

Massive erosion has been witnessed in Biswanath, Bongaigaon, Chirang, Dibrugarh, Morigaon, Sivasagar, Sonitpur, Tinsukia and Udalguri districts.

Embankments, roads, bridges and other infrastructure have been damaged by floodwaters in Bongaigaon, Karimganj, Nagaon, Biswanath, Kamrup, Morigaon, Nalbari, Udalguri, Bajali, Cachar, Hailakandi, Hojai, Kokrajhar, Lakhimpur and Majuli.

A total of 5,90,949 domestic animals and poultry have been hit by the deluge across 12 districts, the ASDMA said.

Quoting the Central Water Commission bulletin, the ASDMA said that the Brahmaputra river at Dhubri town, Tezpur and Neamatighat, and its tributaries Kopili at Dharamtul, Disang at Nanglamuraghat and Burhidihing at Chenimari (Khowang) are flowing above the danger levels.

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