Assam floods: 33 dead, 15 lakh people affected as flood hits 21 districts

The ongoing wave of floods in Assam, triggered by the monsoon rains, claimed more lives, taking the death toll to 33, besides affecting around 1.5 million people in 21 of the state's 33 districts with embankments, roads, bridges, and many other infrastructure damaged at various places.

The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) officials said that in the current wave of floods since early last week, 18 persons have died in Dhubri, Nagaon, Nalbari, Barpeta, Dhemaji, Udalguri, Goalpara and Dibrugarh districts, taking the state's death toll to 33, while 24 people have been killed in separate landslides since May 22.

The flood situation has slightly improved in Kamrup (Metro), Udalguri, Majuli and West Karbi Anglong districts.

Flood situation remains grim

The water level of river Brahmaputra was above the danger level at Guwahati, Nimatighat in Jorhat, Tezpur in Sonitpur, Goalpara town in Goalpara and Dhubri town in Dhubri districts.

An official of the ASDMA said that the flood-hit districts are -- Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Biswanath, Chirang, Darrang, Nalbari, Barpeta, Kokrajhar, Dhubri, Nagaon, Golaghat, Jorhat, Sivasagar, Dibrugarh, Bongaigaon, South Salmara, Goalpara, Kamrup, Morigaon, Hojai and Tinsukia.

"Around 15 lakh people in 2,197 villages were distressed by the floods and over 87,018 hectares of crop areas were severely affected due to the floods. Around 25,461 people, including women and children, took shelter in 254 relief camps," an ASDMA official said.

Barpeta is the worst hit with nearly 5.95 lakh people suffering, followed by 1.95 lakh in South Salmara and 94,000 in Goalpara, the ASDMA said.

The National Disaster Response Force, Assam State Disaster Response Force personnel, along with the local administrations, are continuously working to rescue the affected people and rendering relief services, including distribution of relief material to the marooned villagers.

(With agency inputs)