HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, July 5: The flood situation in Assam remained critical on Friday with nearly 22 lakh people affected and all major rivers flowing above the danger mark.
The toll in this year’s flood, landslide and storm has increased to 62, while three persons are missing.
Related Posts:
Among the worst-hit districts are Dhubri where 6,48,806 people are affected, Darrang with 1,90,261 people hit and Cachar with 1,45,926 people affected.
A total of 39,338 affected people have taken shelter in 698 relief camps, while 7,24,322 people have been provided with relief materials.
An alert was issued in Kamrup (Metro) district where the Brahmaputra, Digaru and Kollong rivers were flowing above the danger marks with vast tracts of land inundated in the second wave of flood.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited the affected areas of Dibrugarh district on Friday to assess the situation, an official statement said.
As per the statement, the chief minister waded through the submerged HS Road and Mahalaya Road in Dibrugarh town and interacted with the flood hit people and assured them of taking remedial measures once the flood water recedes.
Sarma also inspected the flood induced breach of the ring bund at Khowang and took stock of the ground situation and spoke to the affected people and assured them of adequate steps.
Besides this, he also asked the concerned authorities to build the ring bund and fortify the main embankment.
“The chief minister directed Panchayat and Rural Development minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass and MLA Chakradhar Gogoi to supervise the restoration work to give relief to the affected people,” the official statement stated.
Sarma then visited the relief camp set up at Pithubor Girls’ Higher Secondary School where 173 inmates are taking shelter. He talked to them and enquired about the daily relief material provided to them.
The chief minister asked the district commissioner to provide medical facilities, safe drinking water and clothes to the camp inmates.
Later, he visited the relief camp set up at Khowang Higher Secondary School where 380 flood affected people have taken shelter. He spent time with them and assured them that besides providing necessary materials, expeditious measures would be taken to repair or build the houses damaged by flood.
Panchayat and Rural Development minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass, Water Resources minister Pijush Hazarika, MLAs Teros Goala and Taranga Gogoi were also present during the visit of the chief minister.
“The chief minister asked DC Dibrugarh to take necessary measures for emergency relief of the flood affected people. He assured the people that the damaged houses would be either rebuilt or repaired. Moreover, steps on war footing would be initiated from tomorrow to plug the breach point with geo bags,” the statement quoted Sarma as saying.
He also visited a relief camp set up at Tengakhat College where 299 inmates are taking shelter. He took stock of the facilities made available in the relief camp and asked the DC to ensure availability of daily relief material in the camp and to give special attention to the needs of the babies and aged people.
The Brahmaputra is also flowing above the danger marks at Nimatighat, Tezpur, Guwahati, Goalpara and Dhubri. Its tributaries Subansiri at Badatighat, Burhi Dihing at Chenimari, Dikhou at Sivasagar, Disang at Nanglamuraghat, Dhansiri at Numaligarh, and Kopili at Kampur and Dharamtul are flowing above the danger levels.
The Barak river was flowing above the danger mark at AP Ghat, BP Ghat, Chota Bakra and Fuletrak, while its tributary Dhaleswari was above the red mark in Gharmura, Katakhal in Matizuri and Kushiyara in Karimganj town.
State ministers are also camping in various flood-affected districts. (With inputs from PTI)
