From Our Correspondent
Guwahati: The current wave of devastating flood has so far claimed at least 18 lives in Assam while affecting over 8 lakh population from 23 districts of the State. The death toll is likely to go up as reports about more casualty is pouring in.
Assam Agriculture Minister Nilamoni Sen Deka today informed that a total of 8.50 lakh people have been affected so far in the floods while standing crop on 70,000 hectares of land were damaged. by the floods.
A total of 16 teams of National Disaster Rescue Force (NDRF) have been engaged in rescue operation. One team of the NDRF comprises of 40 personnel and six life saving boats. In addition seven teams of State Disaster Rescue Force (SDRF) have also been helping the rescue operation.
A team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) from Kolkata has reached flood-ravaged Majuli island for rescue operations .
AN-32 tactical transport aircrafts of the Indian Air Force (IAF) were used to transport 70 people of NDRF from Kolkata. The NDRF team has also carried several tons of relief material to Majuli.
Choppers from the IAF’s Eastern Air Command are already carrying out rescue operations in the flood-hit districts of the state. “Helicopters of the Indian Air Force (IAF) have been pressed into action as and when required for carrying out rescue and relief operations,” he said.
“The Government has set up 154 relief camps in various flood-hit districts to shelter for the affected people. About two lakh flood affected people have taken shelter in these relief camps in different districts,” said the Minister.
“Out of the flood-affected districts, nine districts —Sonitpur, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Tinsukia, Jorhat, Sivasagar, Kamrup, Nagaon and Barpeta – marked as worst affected,” the Minister said.
“The river island Majuli had witnessed worst ever flood situation in its history with about 82,000 people being affected by floods in the river island. We have sanctioned adequate relief materials and additional financial power to the Deputy Commissioners in flood affected districts to augment relief and rescue operations on their respective districts from Thursday,” he said. Brahmaputra River and its tributaries have breached embankments at least in 25 different locations in the State creating havoc all over.