Guwahati: Assam has been hit by the first wave of floods affecting over 60,000 people in nine districts of the state. At least one person has been washed away.

The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) has said that Brahmaputra and the Jia Bharali were flowing above the danger mark at Nematighat in Jorhat and in Sonitpur districts respectively.

According to the state government, altogether 64,934 people have been affected in Barpeta, Sonitpur, Dhemaji, Bongaigaon, Lakhimpur, Tinsukia, Darrang, Nalbari and Goalpara districts. Lakhimpur in northern Assam is the worst-hit district with over 25,000 people being affected. One person has died in Lakhimpur.

Lakhmipur is followed by Sonitpur and Barpeta districts with 19,300 and 13,950 people being affected respectively.

A total of 330.91 hectares of crops has been destroyed. There are also reports of breach of two flood-control embankments in Nalbari district. Three roads have been damaged in the Charduar area of Sonitpur district where some flood-affected people staged a protest demanding solution to the problem of inundation.

The state revenue department said it is trying to open relief camps and supply relief materials to the affected areas. “We are assessing the situation. The situation is still not that grim. We have made all arrangements to face the situation,” a senior government official said.

After a delay of one day, the monsoon hit the northeast on Saturday. The meteorology department said the south-west monsoon was active over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya from Monday.

Weather officials said the conditions are favourable for more monsoon rain in the next few days.

According to weather forecast, heavy to very heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Arunachal Pradesh on Wednesday and over Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura on Friday.

[Newsnet intern Tanushree prepared this report from media sources]

  Assam, development, Northeast