GUWAHATI: Assam is drowning once again. Almost four and a half lakh people have been displaced as rising flood waters enter homes and hamlets, driving out people and livestock.

Embankments, roads, bridges, culverts and many other infrastructure have been damaged at various places in Barpeta, Udalguri, Lakhimpur, Sonitpur and Jorhat districts.

Massive erosions have been witnessed at various places of Sonitpur, Udalguri, Jorhat and Barpeta districts.

The Brahmaputra river at Nimatighat in Jorhat, the Dhansiri at Numaligarh in Golaghat, the Jia Bharali at NT Road Crossing in Sonitpur, the Puthimari at NH Road Crossing in Kamrup and the Beki at Road Bridge in Barpeta are flowing above the danger marks, the according to reports.

 Late on July 11, information received says the number of flood-hit people in the State is around 4,23,386 during the past 24 hours. According to the daily flood report of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), the second wave of flooding has so far affected 749 villages under 41 revenue circles in 17 districts of the State. However, there is no fresh report of flood-related death received from any part of the State, said the report.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel have been deployed in the districts of Dhemaji, Lakhimpur and Bongaigaon, while SDRF personnel have been deployed in the districts of Barpeta, Morigaon and Dibrugarh for rescue operations. Altogether 721 marooned people have been rescued by the NDRF and SDRF personnel in the districts of Lakhimpur (231), Barpeta (324), Bongaigaon (40) and Dibrugarh (126).

The ASDMA report said, referring to the Central Water Commission’s (CWC’s) morning flood bulletin, that the Brahmaputra is flowing above its danger levels at Neamatighat in Jorhat district and at Tezpur in Sonitpur district. The Dikhow is flowing above its danger level at Sivasagar in Sivasagar district, while the Dhansiri (South) is flowing above its danger level at Numaligarh in Golaghat district, the Jia Bharali is flowing above its danger level at NT Road Crossing in Sonitpur district, the Puthimari is flowing above its danger level at NH Road Crossing in Kamrup district and the Beki is flowing above its danger level at Road Bridge in Barpeta district.

The flood-hit districts include Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Biswanath, Sonitpur, Darrang, Baksa, Barpeta, Nalbari, Chirang, Bongaigaon, Kokrajhar, Morigaon, Nagaon, Golaghat, Majuli, Jorhat and Dibrugarh. Yesterday, the number of flood-hit districts was 11.

In terms of the adverse impacts on the population, Barpeta has recorded the highest number of flood-hit people with 84,262, followed by Dhemaji with 80,219 people, Lakhimpur with 72, 693 and Bongaigaon with 72, 582 people. Majuli district has recorded the number of flood-hit people as 36,561.

Floodwaters have affected a total crop area of 16,730.72 hectares and a total number of 1,843 people are taking shelter in the relief camps set up by the respective local administrations in the six districts of Lakhimpur (82), Baksa (761), Chirang (550), Kokrajhar (78), Jorhat (246) and Dibrugarh (126).

Meanwhile, landslide incidents are reported from four villages in Harangajao and Maibong Revenue Circles of Dima Hasao district, said the ASDMA report.

  Assam, disaster management, flood