Another spell of flood hits Assam, affects over 3.54 lakh people

The water level of Brahmaputra and its tributaries is flowing over level marks in Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Tinsukia, Sivsagar, Majuli, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Golaghat, Sonitpur, Kamrup, Dhubri, Bongaigaon following torrential rains in the state and neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Bhutan.

The first wave flood had claimed 84 persons and affected over 2.5 million people in June-July last.

Meanwhile, the Assam government has sounded high alert across the state following second wave flood and asked all district administration to take necessary measures to tackle the flood situation.

According to the reports of Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), the flood waters submerged more areas in 15 districts.

“Till Friday, over 3.54 lakh people are affecting in the second wave flood. Around 1.44 lakh people affected alone in Dhemaji district, while 33,123 in Majuli, 29,312 in Dibrugarh, 26,705 in Bongaigaon, 20,590 in Lakhimpur, 15,068 in Tinsukia district,” a top official of ASDMA said.

On the other hand, flood situation turned worsed in Kaziranga National Park as flood waters submerged more than 70 per cent areas of the national park.

Several wild animals including one horned rhinos of the park were forced to move safer places following the second wave flood situation.

In view of yet another spell of flood lashing the state, chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal who is New Delhi, on Friday directed chief secretary to deploy the state administration to reach out to the flood affected people and intensify relief and rescue operations in the State.
       
Sonowal directed chief secretary VK Pipersenia to hold a video conference and talk to the deputy commissioners (DCs) of all the affected districts and assess the intensity of the sudden flood and the relief and rescue operations to be undertaken accordingly.

In view of Sonowal’s direction, chief secretary Pipersenia convened a video conference in his office chamber in Janata Bhawan along with the senior officers of Revenue and Disaster Management and asked the DCs to reach out to the affected people and undertake relief and rescue operations on a war footing.

The Chief Secretary also asked the DCs to visit the affected areas and if required open relief camps.

He also asked the DCs to undertake the relief and rescue operations in full throttle and he said that the State has sufficient funds to meet any exigencies arising out of the flood and they should inform him about their requirements  immediately.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who visited the flood affected north eastern Indian state in July, had announced a total package of Rs 2,350 crore for all flood affected north eastern states.

The state government had recently sought Rs 2939 crore assistance from the Centre to carry out repair works of infrastructure, embankments, roads, bridges, culverts etc damaged in the first wave flood in the state.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)