Assam flood toll rises to 151 with 12 fresh fatalities
HT Bureau
Guwahati, June 29: The overall flood situation of the state worsened again on Wednesday following incessant rain, with 12 more people losing their lives in the deluge and the number of affected people rising to 31.54 lakh.
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Moreover, the numbers of affected districts also climbed up to 26 on Wednesday.
The Cachar district administration on Wednesday informed that most localities of Silchar were still water-logged and the situation remained critical with residents facing a shortage of food, drinking water and medicines. Notably, the Silchar town has been remaining inundated for the last 10 days.
Twelve fresh fatalities, as reported by the Central Water Commission on Wednesday have taken the total number of deaths due to floods and landslides in Assam this year to 151.
At the same time, Beki, Kopili, Barak River and the Brahmaputra at Tezpur and Nimatighat were flowing above the danger level though the remaining rivers were showing a receding trend.
Stating that the Silchar town has remained submerged for the last 10 days due to breach of a dyke in Bethkundi, Cachar deputy commissioner Keerthi Jalli said work is underway to repair it. She said priority was being given to reach out to the affected people with clean drinking water and food while medical camps are being organised by the health department to ensure prevention of water-borne diseases.
Meanwhile, the MeT Department has issued a ‘red alert’ in the districts of Kokrajhar, Chirang and Baksa, and an ‘orange alert’ in Dhubri, Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Udalguri, Biswanath, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji and Dibrugarh. The weather office has also issued an ‘orange alert’ in South Salmara, Kokrajhar, Chirang and Baksa districts till Thursday.
As directed by chief minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, a team of the National Health Mission, Assam, led by its mission director M S Lakshmi Priya is also camping at Silchar to ensure that the affected people get proper medical facilities.
Medical personnel have been deployed in the 28 municipal wards of the town, while health camps have been organised at different relief centres where inmates have been provided with ORS packets for prevention of diarrhoea.
Cachar deputy commissioner Jalli further said water pouches and water purifying tablets are being distributed among the affected people, while temporary toilets have been set up in some camps.
A total of 2,675 villages under 79 revenue circles have been affected across the state, while 3,12,085 people have taken shelter in 560 relief camps.
Cachar is the worst affected with 14.30 lakh people suffering, followed by Barpeta (5.49 lakh) and Nagaon (5.19 lakh).
Five embankments have been breached, while 177 roads and five bridges have been damaged. (With PTI inputs)
