Assam flood situation worsens, death toll mounts to 34, Sonowal inspects flood-hit areas

On Monday, seven persons including three minors died while they drowned in flood waters.

A top official of Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said that, three persons drowned in Lakhimpur district, while two minors in Jorhat and one each in Golaghat and Goalpara district.

According to the ASDMA reports, a total of 12,55,692 people of 20 districts are affected in the current flood till Monday.

"Over 2.92 lakh people are affected alone in Lakhimpur district, while 1.44 people in Morigaon, 1.16 lakh in Dhemaji, 2.50 lakh people affected in South Salmara district," the ASDMA official said.

Meanwhile, red alert has been declared in the worst-affected Lakhimpur and Dhemaji districts by the district administration following release of excess water from the Ronganodi Hydro Power Project of the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) for protection of dam of the power project.

The flood situation turned worse in Lakhimpur district after the release water of NEEPCO project breached the NH-15 at Khakandbori Majgaon under Nowboicha revenue circle and inundated over 100 villages in the northern Assam district on Sunday night.

The flood waters submerged 1,05,215.15 hectares agricultural land and affected 2053 villages of 20 districts in the state till Monday.

On the other hand, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday reviewed the flood situation in flood-hit Morigaon district and inspected an erosion affected area at Lahorighat in the middle Assam district. 

Sonowal also reviewed the current flood situation with the district administration officials held at Morigaon DC Office in presence of state Water Resources minister Keshab Mahanta, CM’s Media Advisor Hrishikesh Goswami and other top officials.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)