Assam Floods: Central team arrives to assess flood damage in State

 Flood situation still grim, death toll rises to 159

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Some rivers in the state is still flowing above the danger levels. The flood situation is grim on Thursday when an inter-ministerial central team arrived in Guwahati.

Eight people died of floods in the past 24 hours in the state. The death toll due to floods and landslides in this season is 159.

The River Brahmaputra flows above the danger level at Dhubri, Tezpur and Nematighat; Kopili at Dharamtul, Beki at Road Bridge and the Burhidihing at Chenimari (Khowang). The water level of the River Pohumara that wreaked havoc in the Bajali district for the past few days subsided to an extent today. The situation in Jonai, Dhemaji and Gohpur is still grim. Reports of erosion by rivers keep coming from various places in the state.

According to the ASDMA (Assam State Disaster Management Authority) bulletin, the floods affected 29,80,493 people in 2608 villages in 22 districts in the state. Around 3,05,565 people are taking shelter in 551 relief camps.

Meanwhile, an inter-ministerial central team from the Ministry of Home Affairs arrived in Guwahati this evening.

The team is on a four-day visit to the state, and will wind up the visit on July 3.

The six members of the Central Government will divide themselves into two. Team 1, to be led by NCRMP (New Delhi) (National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project) Joint Secretary and Project Director Harsh Gupta, will have Under Secretary to the Ministry of Rural Development Kailash Sankhla and Superintendent Engineer–cum- Regional Officer on the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Adelbert Susngi as members. It will assess the flood damage in the three Barak valley districts of Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi.

Team 2, to be headed by Deputy Director of Ministry of Finance, DoE (FCD) Mahesh Kumar, will have two other members – Joint Director to the Department of Agril, Coop and Farmers' Welfare Jintu Das and Superintendant Engineer to the Ministry of Jal Shakti and CWC Ajay Kumar Sinha. It will assess the flood damage in Nalbari, Bajali, Barpeta, Kamrup and Morigaon districts.

Upon their arrival in Guwahati, Revenue and Disaster Management and ASDMA officials gave a flood situation and damage presentation before the Central team.

After their assessment, the Central team will submit their report to the Central Government. It will meet the State Chief Secretary before winding up the visit on Sunday. The last central team in this season visited Assam at May end.

Also Read:  Assam Floods: Flood scene in State worsens again

Also Watch: