GUWAHATI: After a brief hiatus, floods have gripped Assam again affecting 11 lakh people in 19 of the state’s 32 districts. According to the state’s disaster management authorities, five people have died in the deluge since Friday evening. Two of them died in Dhemaji district while Lakhimpur, Kokrajhar and Morigaon districts recorded one death each.
The Brahmaputra and its tributaries Burhidihing, Subansiri, Dhansiri, Jia Bharali, Puthimari, Beki, Gaurang and Sankosh were flowing above the danger marks at several places.
Crop land damage was in areas of 1,00,441.70 hectares. The authorities opened 268 relief camps in 14 districts where 63,797 displaced people were lodged. Personnel of the State Disaster Response Force, National Disaster Response Force and others were engaged in rescue and relief operations.
Official sources said erosion occurred on the banks of the Brahmaputra and some of its tributaries. “Embankments at many places are facing damage due to boiling, seepage and peculation,” sources said.
Roads and bridges were also damaged by the swirling floods in a number of districts. In eastern Assam’s Tinsukia district, authorities ordered 225 schools to remain shut as the situation worsened.
Floods also wreaked havoc in the river island of Majuli forcing the affected to flee to highlands. As the Brahmaputra water rises alarmingly, authorities suspended ferry services in Majuli, Dibrugarh and Guwahati.
Chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal visited Tinsukia district on Saturday and took stock of the flood situation. He instructed chief secretary VK Pipersenia to work in close coordination with the authorities in the districts.
The month-long first wave of floods in July had claimed 82 lives and affected 25.42 lakh people in 29 districts.
Floods and landslides triggered by rain has also thrown life out of gear in Arunachal Pradesh. Road communication in several parts of the state has been disrupted due to landslides. A portion of National Highway 415, which connects state capital Itanagar with Assam, eroded near Karsingsa on Friday.