GUWAHATI:
Flood situation turned grim in Assam, as eight persons, including two children lost their lives in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 62, an official of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said on June 18.
While four death have been reported from Barpeta district (Barpeta, Kalgasia and Sarthebari), one each have been reported from Darrang, Hailakandi (Katlichera), Karimganj, Nalbari and Sonitpur districts, the report said.
Further, according to the ASDMA report, three persons died in landslides – two in Karimganj and one in Hailakandi district.
The report further said that eight persons, including three children, have been missing since June 17. While One person was missing from Bagaribai in the Kokrajhar district, 4 are missing from Hojai, and 1 each in Bajali, West Karbi Anglong and Tamulpur district.
Meanwhile, a total of 30,99,762 people of 4,291 villages under 118 revenue circles in 32 districts of the state have been affected by the second wave of floods, the ASDMA also said.
According to the ASDMA, the worst affected districts are Bajali, Baksa, Barpeta, Biswanath, Bongaigaon, Cachar, Chirang, Darrang, Dhemaji, Dhubri, Dibrugarh, Dima-Hasao, Goalpara, Golaghat, Hojai, Kamrup, Kamrup (M), Karbi Anglong West, Karimganj, Kokrajhar, Lakhimpur, Majuli, Morigaon, Nagaon, Nalbari, Sivasagar, Sonitpur, South Salmara, Tamulpur, Tinsukia and Udalguri.
Flooding in urban areas have been reported from Barpeta, Darrang, Goalpara, Hailakandi, Kamrup (M), Nalbari and Udalguri districts, the ASDMA said.
Among all the districts, Barpeta is the worst affected with 7.31,044 people of 584 villages under Chenga, Barpeta, Barnagar, Sarthebari and Baghbar revenue circles being affected.
Bajali is the second worst affected district where 3,52,550 people have been affected in 173 villages under Bajali and Sarupeta revenue circle, followed by Goalpara district with 2,20,975 population being affected in 284 villages under Balijana, Lakhipur, Matia and Rongjuli revenue circles.
A total of 1,05, 341 people of 87 villages under Lanka, Hojai and Doboka revenue circles have been affected in the Hojai district due to the rise of the water level of the Kopili river after NEEPCO released water from the Khandong power station of Kopili Hydroelectric Power Project at Umrangso in Dima Hasao district.
Meanwhile, 514 relief camps and 302 relief distribution centres have been opened in the affected districts. A total of 1,56,365 inmates have been taking shelter at the relief camps.
A total of 13024.0 quintals of rice, 2485.4 quintals of dal, 1128.26 quintals of salt, 13978.70 litres of mustard oil, 4.50 green fodder, 9543.44 quintals of wheat bran and186.30 quintals of rice bran have been distributed among the affected people, the ASDMA also said.
Given damages caused to railway tracks due to flood-induced breaches in Jamunamukh- Jugijan section of Lumding and Tangla – Harisinga section of Rangiya Divisions of Assam, Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has cancelled/ diverted/ rescheduled/ short-terminated/ short-originated trains for the third day on June 18.
The railways have also cancelled some trains in the lower Assam districts due to water logging at km 347/6-8 between Nalbari and Ghograpar of the Rangiya Railway Division.
In addition to causing damage to human lives, four wild animals also died at Kaziranga National Park due to floods. Of them, three are hog deer and a leopard, a senior official of Kaziranga National Park said.
Of 223 forest camps, 14 forest camps have been inundated by flood water.
NDRF, SDRF, Fire & ES personnel, Assam Police, and AAPDA Mitra Volunteers of ASDMA have been helping the district administration in the safe evacuation of people from affected areas.
So far 11,881 people have been safely evacuated by the rescue teams.
Landslide incidents have been reported from Cachar, Hailakandi, Dima Hasao, Goalpara, Morigaon, South Salmara and Kamrup (M) districts in the last 24 hours.
In Guwahati, landslides have been reported from Kharghuli NC (Ramching Chapori) under Chandrapur revenue circle, Amching Jorabat, Pub Sarania, Joypur Kharghuli and Hengrabari (near Nabajyoti Club). However, no casualty has so far been reported.
Two landslides have been reported in the Hailakandi district. The first incident took place at Burniebrese TE under Algapur Revenue Circle, while the second incident took place at Dinonathpur Part I under Katlicherra Revenue Circle.
In addition to this, river erosion has been reported from Jalah (Baksa), Kalgachia (B), Naduar (Biswanath), Sidli (Chirang), Chapar (Dhubri), and Naharkatia (Dibrugarh).
According to the Central Water Commission (CWC), Beki is flowing above the danger level at Road Bridge, Manas at NH Road Crossing, Pagladiya at NT Road Crossing, Puthimari at NH Road Crossing, Kopili at Dharamtul, Jia-Bharali at NT Road Crossing, Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger level at Dhubri, Tezpur and Neamatighat.
Meanwhile, the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said heavy rainfall over Northeastern states will continue till June 20.
“A trough at mean sea level runs from East Uttar Pradesh to Manipur across Bihar, Sub Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim and Assam. Moisture incursion is very likely to continue due to strong lower-level Southerly/ Southwesterly winds from the Bay of Bengal to Northeast India during 18-20 June 2022. Under its influence, widespread rainfall accompanied by thunderstorm/lightning/ heavy to very heavy with extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places is very likely to continue over Northeastern states from June 18 to 20 and decrease in rainfall intensity thereafter,” said Dr Sanjay O’Neill Shaw, Deputy Director-General, RMC-IMD at Borjhar here.