Assam floods, landslides claim 62 lives so far; nearly 31 lakh affected across 32 districts

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Floods and resultant landslides in Assam have claimed 62 lives this year so far. In the last 24 hours, eight people have died after drowning in flood waters - two each in Barpeta and Karimganj districts, one each in Darrang, Hailakandi, Nalbari and Sonitpur districts and eight people are still missing.

According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), out of 62 people, 51 people died in floods while 11 were in landslides so far. Nearly 31 lakh people of 32 districts - Bajali, Baksa, Barpeta, Biswanath, Bongaigaon, Cachar, Darrang, Dhemaji, Dhubri, Dibrugarh, Dima Hasao, Goalpara, Hojai, Kamrup, Kamrup (Metro), Karbi Anglong West, Karimganj, Kokrajhar, Lakhimpur, Majuli, Morigaon, Nagaon, Nalbari, Sivasagar, Sonitpur, Sivasagar, South Salmara, Tamulpur, Tinsukia, Udalguri, have affected in the second wave of the deluge.

More than 7.31 lakh people have affected alone in Barpeta district followed by 3.54 lakh people in Darrang district, 3.52 lakh people in Bajali, 2.41 lakh in Nagaon, 2.21 lakh in Goalpara, 2.18 lakh in Kamrup, 1.65 lakh in Nalbari, 1.14 lakh in Lakhimpur, 1.25 lakh in Hojai and 1.13 lakh in Bongaigaon.

Following the torrential rains in Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and neighbouring country Bhutan, the water level of all major rivers of the state are rising and many rivers are flowing above danger level marks in several places. The water level of Beki, Manas, Pagladiya, Puthimari, Kopili, Jia-Bharali, and Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger level mark in many places of the state.

The administration of the flood-hit districts has set up 514 relief camps and 302 relief distribution centres and 1,56,365 people are currently lodgings in the relief camps. Apart from it, many flood-affected people are taking shelter on roads, embankments, and high lands after the flood waters inundated their homes. The ASDMA report said that 4,291 villages under 118 revenue circles are reeling under flood waters and 66,455.82 hectares of cropland were submerged by flood waters. More than 25.54 lakh animals have been affected in the current wave of the deluge.

In the last 24 hours, the rescue teams of the Indian Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDFR), Fire and Emergency Services and district administration have rescued 9,102 persons including children, and women from different flood-affected areas in 22 districts. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has directed all district administration that, adequate food supply should be ensured in all flood-affected districts and relief operations should not be compromised and all Deputy Commissioners should place requests for additional human resources for relief operation to the Personnel department.

Further, the Chief Minister directed all breach points to be identified by the Water Resources department and temporary closing works to be undertaken immediately after the receding of flood water, all DCs should take robust steps to monitor the flood-affected areas. The state government is monitoring the availability of stock of fuel and essential food items in Barak Valley districts in view of the current landslide situation on the connecting roads.

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