Flood toll in Assam reaches 62, over 44 lakh affected

Northeast India and Bihar continued to battle flood fury on Saturday as the death toll due to rain-related incidents crossed the 150-figure mark while flood-like situation prevailed in seven districts of Punjab.

The flood waters showed a receding trend in Assam, however, the toll rose to 62 on Sunday. The number of affected districts came down to 24, officials said.

The waters of the deluge, which wreaked large scale devastation across the state, receded from Baksa, Hojai and Majuli districts but continued to submerge 1.51 lakh hectare of crop land and a large part of Kaziranga National Park, where 10 rhinos have been killed.

Rivers such as the Brahmaputra at Neamatighat in Jorhat, Guwahati (Kamrup), Goalpara and Dhubri; Dhansiri at Numaligarh in Golaghat; Jia Bharali at N.T.Rd.Xing in Sonitpur and Kopili at Dharamtul in Nagaon are flowing at danger levels in the state.

According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) flood bulletin, five deaths were reported from Morigaon district, three from Barpeta, two from South Salmara and one each from Nalbari and Dhubri districts on Saturday. '

While 60 people have been killed in floods, two died in mudslides. 

A total of 44,08,142 people are hit in at least 3,024 villages in the affected districts of the state.

The ASDMA bulletin said over 1.32 lakh displaced people are still in 689 relief camps and 240 relief distribution centres set up by the district administrations.

In Kaziranga National Park, a World Heritage site, the flood water level recorded a drop of 138 cm.

The calamity has claimed the lives of 129 animals, including 10 rhinoceros, 62 hog deer, eight sambhar deer and an equal number of wild boar, five swamp deer, two porcupines, an elephant and a wild buffalo since July 13.

The Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger level at Neamatighat in Jorhat district, Goalpara, Dhubri, Dhansiri at Numaligarh in Golaghat district and Kopili at Dharamtul in Nagaon district, the ASDMA said.

Many of the flood affected complained to the state Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma that they have not been provided with adequate relief items or accommodation in the relief centres.

With five more deaths, the death toll in Bihar floods on Saturday reached 97, the state's disaster management department said.

Doing everything to provide relief to people: Assam CM

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday said that the state government is doing everything possible to provide relief to those affected by floods across the state.

"Assam government is doing everything to provide relief to people affected by floods in the state... All state Cabinet ministers and our MPs and MLAs are meeting the people affected by floods in the state and helping them out," Sonowal told media here.

"On behalf of people of Assam, I want to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for helping the state government in this matter. Also, I want to thank Union Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat for visiting Assam and helping the people," he added.

The Indian Army had earlier launched a large scale flood relief operation in flood-hit areas of lower Assam after the torrential rains hit the region. Operations are in full swing to provide aid to locals.

(With inputs from PTI, ANI)