Flood scene still grim in Assam; toll 71

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Floods continued to remain grim in the state on Sunday. Nine people lost their lives due to floods and landslides in the state in the past 24 hours. Eight people are missing. The flood and landslide toll in the state rose to 71 this year.

Till the filing of this report, floods affected 42,28,157 people of 5,137 villages in 33 districts in the state. The deluge also inundated 107370.43 hectares of standing crops.

According to sources, the water current washed away two boys reading in class X near Rangiya in the Kamrup district today.

The campus of Barpeta Xatra still has flood water. The nearby areas of the Borduwa Xatra in Nagaon are also under flood water. The surging waters of the Kopili river wreaked havoc in the Hojai district. The release of excess waters from several dams of Bhutan also affected the lower Assam districts.

According to CCF (Chief Conservator of Forest) and KNP (Kaziranga National Park) director Jatindra Sarma, 15-20 per cent of the area of the national park is underwater. Talking to The Sentinel, CCF Sarma said, "Forty-five forest camps inside the national park have around one-foot water. So far, none of the camps needed shifting. The KNP animals have not yet started crossing the National Highway to leave for the Karbi hills. We are keeping a close watch on it. We have restricted the vehicular speed limit on the national highway near the animal corridors from Rangolu to Panbari to 40 km per hour."

According to the flood bulletin of the ASDMA (Assam State Disaster Management Authority), 1,86,424 inmates are taking shelter in 1,147 relief camps in the state.

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