Assam floods: Over 4 lakh people marooned, Barpeta worst affected; CM reviews situation

Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Biswanath, Darrang, Nalbari, Chirang, Golaghat, Majuli, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Nagaon, Morigaon, Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Baksa and Sonitpur are the places which have been affected by flooding caused by continuous rainfall.

Nearly 85,262 people have been reeling under the impact of the flood in Barpeta district, which is the worst-affected in the state, closely followed by Dhemaji where 80,219 people have been affected, ASDMA officials said.

Guwahati: A vehicle wades through a waterlogged street after heavy Monsoon rain, in Guwahati, (PTI Photo)

Nearly 749 villages in 41 revenue circles have been submerged under water, whereas 1843 people have been evacuated to 53 relief camps and distribution centres which have been set up by district administrations, the ASDMA added.

Apart from people, animals had to seek shelter on the platforms constructed for them as flood waters entered the Kaziranga National Park in upper Assam division, national park authorities informed.

ASDMA said that various rivers were flowing above the danger marks including Brahmaputra river at Nimatighat in Jorhat and Tezpur in Sonitpur, Dikhow river at Sivasagar town, Dhansiri river at Numaligarh in Golaghat, Jia Bharali river at NT Road Crossing in Sonitpur, Puthimari river at NH Road Crossing in Kamrup and Beki river at Road Bridge in Barpeta.

In a video conference Thursday with deputy commissioners of affected districts and senior officials of different government departments to review the flood situation, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal directed them to remain fully alert and be prepared to tackle the situation promptly and effectively.

Morigaon: An Indian one-horned rhinoceros wades through flood waters at Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, in Morigaon, Thursday, July 11, 2019. (PTI Photo)

Officials said that the Chief Minister also directed the deputy commissioners to set up round-the-clock control room to ensure people in distress get immediate response when faced with an emergency situation during floods.

Instructing the officials to step up operations to rescue flood affected people, the CM directed to provide timely medical treatment to people at relief camps & flood hit areas to avert outbreak of Japanese Encephalitis and other health hazards.

— Chief Minister Assam (@CMOfficeAssam) July 11, 2019

Sonowal also reviewed the status of relief camps, distribution of relief material to marooned people and measures adopted for safety and security of animals in the flood affected districts, an official spokesperson said.

Girls row a makeshift raft past submerged houses at a flood-affected village in Karbi Anglong district, in the northeastern state of Assam. (REUTERS/Anuwar Hazarika)

He directed officials that adequate medical services be provided in flood-affected areas and asked deputy commissioners to contact the Director of Health Services if there is any shortage of doctors in their respective districts. Ensuring adequate care is provided to animals, he instructed steps to arrange fodder for them.

-with PTI inputs