Assam floods: Over 26 lakh people affected, PM Modi assures CM of assistance

Over 26 lakh people have been affected across 31 districts of Assam. (PTI/File)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday dialed Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and took stock of the situation in the flood-affected state, where over 26 lakh people have been affected and more than 10 people have lost their lives.

During the telephonic conversation, Sonowal apprised the Prime Minister about the prevailing situation and informed him that 31 of the state’s 33 districts were hit by the current spell of floods. PM Modi has assured the Assam CM of all assistance from the Centre in tackling the situation.

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The flood situation in the state worsened on Sunday, with the death toll rising to 11 and nearly 26.5 lakh people getting affected. Barpeta is the worst hit with 7.35 lakh people affected, followed by Morigaon where 3.50 lakh people are hit. In Dhubri, around 3.38 lakh people have been affected, according to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA).

Barpeta: People wade through a flooded road following the incessant monsoon rainfalls at Kalgachi, in Barpeta, Friday, July 12, 2019. (PTI)

The (ASDMA) further stated that 3,181 villages were underwater and 87,607 hectares of crop areas had been damaged. Authorities are running 327 relief camps and distribution centres in 24 districts, where 16,596 people are taking shelter at present.

About 70 per cent of the Kaziranga National Park, the habitat of the Great Indian Rhino and a world heritage site, has been affected too. The Brahmaputra is flowing above its danger mark in Guwahati, at Nimatighat in Jorhat, Tezpur in Sonitpur, Goalpara and Dhubri towns, and at Badarpurghat in Karimganj.

With PTI inputs