Assam floods: Toll rises to 104, deluge affects 1,771 villages in 21 districts
Flood waters damaged two embankments in Jorhat district and many roads in Chirang, Barpeta, Majuli and Goalpara districts.
The toll due to floods in Assam rose to 104 on Tuesday, with one more fatality recorded in Golaghat district. Till Tuesday evening, the floods and heavy rain continued to affect 1,771 villages under 60 revenue circles in 21 districts of the state.
The worst-hit districts are Dhemaji, Biswanath, Darrang, Baksa, Nalbari, Barpeta, Chirang, Bongaigaon, Kokrajhar, Dhubri, South Salmara, Goalpara, Kamrup, Kamrup (Metro), Morigaon, Nagaon, Golaghat, Jorhat, Majuli, Sivasagar and Dibrugarh. The Brahmaputra river in Jorhat, Sonitpur, Goalpara and Dhubri was flowing above the danger mark, and is expected to rise by one cm by Thursday.
Flood waters damaged two embankments in Jorhat district and many roads in Chirang, Barpeta, Majuli and Goalpara districts. Soil erosion due to floods was reported from Biswanath district.
“Buroi river has caused severe erosion in various parts of Biswanath district,” Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said early on Tuesday. “We are taking all steps to tackle the situation. We took stock of damage and repair works at Lal Pukhuri of Behali LAC [Line of Actual Control].”
On Wednesday, Sonowal said that the Jiadhal River, a tributary of the Brahmaputra, has caused huge damage. He tweeted photographs of distribution of relief materials to people. He also inspected the erosion caused by Subansiri River in Lakhimpur. “We are constantly monitoring the on-ground situation and steps are being taken to prevent further damage,” he said.
Meanwhile, the number of flood-affected individuals reduced from 22.33 lakh to 19.81 lakh on Tuesday. As many as 42,275 people have been sheltered in 398 relief camps across Assam, according to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority.
Parts of Kaziranga National Park, Orang National Park and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary continue to be submerged. As many as 129 animals have so far died at the Kaziranga National Park.
Apart from the 104 persons killed in floods, at least 26 have died in landslides.