Meghalaya, Assam toll rises to 70

Though the Army and BSF have been pressed into rescue operations, they have not been able to reach out as most villages are still submerged, the minister said. Meanwhile, several localities in Guwahati remained submerged for the third day. Army was deployed in Anilnagar and Tarunnagar, the two worst-hit localities.

In Shillong, sources said the authorities have set up 85 relief camps for several thousand people who have been rendered homeless or displaced. Of these, 36 camps are in South West Garo Hills district where over 31,000 people have been affected. Road communication has been severely affected in the Garo Hills, with sources saying NH-51 and NH-62 were the worst affected.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh called up Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi to take stock of the situation in the state. Sources said Gogoi apprised Singh about the steps initiated by the state government to rescue people with the assistance of NDRF, SDRF, Army and paramilitary forces. The CM also told the Union Home minister about a slight improvement in the flood situation following a let-up in rainfall in the past 24 hours. However, Gogoi described the situation as “grim and critical”.